Ililiiiiliiiiililiihi'hllHl 


A  MUMMER'S   WIFE 


By 

GEORGE  MOORE 

AUTHOR    or    "  THE    CONFESSIONS    OF   A    YOUNG    MAN,"      "  ESTHER    WATERS,"    ETC. 


New  York 
BRENTANO'S 

Union    Square 
1903 


TO   MY   FRIEND, 

JAMES    DAVIS, 

I  DEDICATE  THIS  BOOK,  IN  ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

OF  A  LITERARY  DEBT. 


"Change  the  surroundings  in  which  man  lives,  and, 
in  two  or  three  generations,  you  will  have  changed  his 
physical  constitution,  his  habits  of  life,  and  a  goodly 
number  of  his  ideas."— Victor  Duruy,  L'' Introduction 
Ohierale  d  VHistoire  de  France. 


A    MUMMER'S    WIFE 


CHAPTER   I 


PPH'N  default  of  a  screen,  a  goAvn  and  a  red  petticoat 
had  been  thrown  over  a  clothes-horse,  and  this 
shaded  the  glare  of  the  lamp  from  the  e3'es  of 
the  sick  man..  In  the  pale  obscurity  of  the  room, 
his  bearded  cheeks  could  be  seen  buried  in  a  heap  of  tossed 
pillows.  By  his  bedside  sat  a  young  woman.  As  she  dozed, 
her  face  drooped  until  her  features  were  hidden,  and  the 
lamp-light  made  the  curious  curves  of  a  beautiful  ear  look 
like  a  piece  of  illuminated  porcelain.  Her  hands  lay  upon 
her  lap,  her  needlework  slipped  from  them ;  as  it  fell  to  the 
ground,  she  awoke. 

Pressing  her  hands  against  her  forehead,  she  made  an 
effort  to  rouse  herself.  As  she  did  so,  her  face  contracted 
with  an  expression  of  disgust,  and  she  remembered  the 
ether.  The  soft,  vaporous  odor  drifted  towards  her  from 
a  small  table  strewn  with  medicine  bottles,  which  stood 
at  the  foot  of  the  iron  bedstead.  Arising,  she  passed  silently 
across  the  room,  and,  taking  care  to  hold  the  cork  tiglitly 
in  her  fingers,  so  as  to  avoid  any  sound,  she  squeezed  it 
firmly  into  the  bottle.  At  that  moment  the  clock  struck 
eleven.  The  clear  tones  of  its  bell  broke  the  silence  sharply ; 
the  patient  moaned  as  if  in  rcpl}^,  and  his  thin  hairy  arms 
stirred  feverishly  on  the  wide  patchwork  counterpane. 
Kindly  she  took  them  in  her  hands  and  covered  them  over. 
The  pillows  were  bowed  in,  beaten  almost  flat;  she  tried 
to  arrange  them  more  comfortably,  but  as  she  did  so  he 
turned  and  tossed  impatiently.  His  forehead  was  moist 
with  perspiration,  but,  fearing  to  disturb  him,  she  put  back 
the  handkerchief  she  had  taken  from  the  pillow,  and  stood 


2  A  Mummer's  Wife 

staring  vaguely  into  the  shadows  that  clouded  the  further 
end  of  the  room.  Then,  regaining  her  chair,  with  a  weary 
movement,  she  picked  up  the  cloth  that  had  fallen  from 
her  knees,  and  slowly  continued  her  work. 

It  was,  like  the  counterpane  on  the  hed,  a  piece  of  patch- 
work, and  in  this  instance  the  squares  of  a  chessboard  had 
been  taken  as  a  design.  Selecting  a  fragment  of  stuff,  she 
trimmed  it  into  the  required  shape,  and  with  tailor-like 
precision  stewed  it  into  its  allotted  corner.  For  fancy  work 
she  had  not  much  taste  or  time,  but  in  the  long  hours  she 
was  forced  to  pass  at  her  husband's  bedside  she  strove  thus 
to  utilize  the  odds  and  ends  of  the  shop. 

Nothing  was  now  heard  but  the  methodical  click  of  her 
needle  as  it  struck  the  head  of  her  thimble,  and  then  the 
long  swish  of  the  thread  as  she  drew  it  through  the  cloth. 
The  lamp  at  her  elbow  burned  steadily,  and  the  glare 
glanced  along  her  arm  as  she  raised  it  with  the  large  move- 
ment of  sewing.  Wherever  the  light  touched  it  her  hair 
was  blue,  and  it  encircled,  like  a  piece  of  rich  black  velvet, 
the  white  but  too  prominent  temples ;  a  dark  shadow  defined 
the  fine  straight  nose,  hinted  at  a  thin  indecision  of  lips, 
whilst  a  broad  touch  of  white  marked  the  weak  but  not  un- 
beautiful  chin.  On  her  knees  lay  the  patchwork,  with  its 
jagged  edges,  and  the  floor  at  her  feet  was  covered  with 
innumerable  scraps,  making  a  red  and  black  litter.  On 
the  comer  of  the  table  lay  a  book,  a  well-worn  volume  in 
a  faded  red  paper  cover.  It  was  a  novel  she  used  to  read 
with  delight  when  she  was  a  girl,  and,  hoping  that  it  might 
help  her  to  pass  away  these  weary  hours,  she  had  sought 
for  it  at  the  bottom  of  an  old  trunk;  but  it  had  somehow 
failed  to  interest  her,  and  after  a  few  pages  she  had  laid 
it  aside,  preferring  for  distraction  her  accustomed  sewing. 
She  was  now  well  awake,  and,  as  she  worked,  her  thoughts 
turned  on  things  concerning  the  daily  routine  of  her  life. 
She  thought  of  the  time  when  her  husband  would  be  well, 
of  the  pillow  she  was  making,  of  how  nice  it  would  look  in 
the  green  armchair,  of  the  much  greater  likelihood  of  let- 
ting their  rooms,  if  they  were  better  furnished,  of  their  new 
lodger,  and  of  the  probability  of  a  quarrel  between  him 
and  her  mother-in-law,  Mrs.  Ede.     So  engrossed  was  she 


A  Mummer's  Wife  3 

in  her  musings  that  she  did  not  notice  how  difficult  and 
laboured  her  husband's  breathing  had  become.  He  had 
thrown  the  coverlet  from  him,  his  chest  heaved,  and  his 
breath  came  from  him  with  a  loud  wheeze  which  momen- 
tarily thickened  in  sound.  When  at  length  she  looked  up  a 
look  of  supreme  pity  passed  across  her  face.  Putting  her 
work  aside  she  approached  the  bed. 

As  she  did  so  he  opened  his  eyes. 

"  Do  you  feel  bad,  dear  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  do.  I'm  suffocating;  lift  me  up.  I'm  going 
to  have  a  fit;  I  hope  it  won't  be  a  bad  one." 
^  -Placing  her  arms  round  him  she  helped  him  into  a  sitting 
position,  and  then  propped  up  the  pillows,  so  as  to  form  a 
support  for  his  back.  She  also  took  a  small  red  shawl  from 
her  shoulders  and  pinned  it  round  his.  Nothing  more 
could  then  be  done  but  to  wait  and  see  how  the  attack 
would  proceed.  Gathering  his  legs  under  him  he  leaned 
forward  snorting  like  a  wounded  animal.  His  face  was 
emaciated,  and  his  dark  thick  hair  fell  over  his  forehead 
in  sticky  masses.  From  time  to  time  he  attempted  to 
cough,  but  his  breath  ran  short  in  his  throat,  and  the  ef- 
forts seemed  to  exhaust  him.  At  times  he  had  not  the 
strength  to  separate  the  saliva  from  his  lips,  but  as  he  got 
rid  of  the  phlegm  that  oppressed  him  he  appeared  to  grow 
a  little  better,  and  signed  to  Kate  to  remove  the  basin.  She 
felt  no  disgust,  but  only  a  noble  desire  to  relieve  his  suffer- 
ings. Presently  he  spoke,  and  in  a  deep  and  husky  voice 
said — 

"  Oh,  what  I  have  done  to  merit  such  suffering?  And  it 
is  all  the  fault  of  that  cursed  actor;  I  wish  I  had  never 
heard  his  name." 

"  Hush,  hush,"  said  Kate,  trying  to  soothe  him.  "  He 
won't  interfere  with  you,  and  it  will  bring  us  a  connection 
which  will  enable  us  to  keep  our  rooms  always  let." 

For  more  than  a  week  past  the  new  lodger  had  formed 
the  staple  subject  of  conversation  in  this  household.  Mrs. 
Ede,  Kate's  mother-in-law,  was  loud  in  her  protestations 
that  the  harboring  of  an  actor  could  not  but  be  attended 
by  bad  luck.  Kate,  whose  Puritanism  was  of  a  less  marked 
kind,  only  felt  a  little  uneasy.    She  had  inherited  the  vague 


4  A  Mummer's  Wife 

distrust  of  her  class  against  all  that  was  itinerant; otherwise 
she  was  quite  unprejudiced.  Perhaps  at  first  she  had  felt  in- 
clined to  agree  with  her  mother-in-law,  but  her  husband 
had  shown  himself  so  stubborn,  and  had  so  persistently 
declared  he  was  not  going  to  keep  his  rooms  empty  any 
longer,  that  for  peace  sake  she  was  fain  to  side  with  him. 
The  question  had  arisen  in  a  very  unexpected  way.  Dur- 
ing the  whole  winter  they  had  been  unfortunate  with  their 
rooms;  they  had  made  many  attempts  to  get  lodgers^  had 
even  advertised.  Some  few  people  had  asked  to  see  the 
rooms,  but  they  merely  made  an  offer.  One  day,  however, 
a  man  who  had  come  into  the  shop  to  buy  some  paper  col- 
lars asked  Kate  if  she  had  any  apartments  to  let.  On  her 
replying  that  she  had,  they  went  upstairs,  and  after  a  cur- 
sory inspection  he  told  her  that  he  was  the  agent  in  advance 
to  a  travelling  opera  company,  and  that  if  she  liked  he 
would  recommend  her  rooms  to  the  stage  manager — a  par- 
ticular friend  of  his.  The  proposition  was  somewhat 
startling,  but  not  liking  to  say  no  she  proposed  to  refer 
the  matter  to  her  husband. 

At  the  particular  moment  Mr.  Ede  happened  to  be  en- 
gaged in  a  violent  dispute  with  his  mother,  and  so  angry 
was  he  that  when  Mrs.  Ede  raised  her  hands  to  protest 
against  the  introduction  of  an  actor  into  the  household,  he 
straightway  told  her  that,  "  If  she  did  not  like  it  she  might 
do  the  other  thing."  Nothing  more  was  said  for  the  pres- 
ent; the  old  lady  retired  in  indignation,  and  Mr.  Lennox 
was  written  to.  Kate  sympathized  alternately  with  both 
sides.  Mrs.  Ede  was  sturdy  in  defence  of  her  principles; 
Mr.  Ede  was  petulant  and  abusive;  and  l)etween  the  two 
Kate  was  blown  about  like  a  feather  in  a  storm.  Daily  the 
argument  waxed  warmer  until  one  night,  in  the  middle  of 
a  scene  characterised  by  much  biblical  quotation,  Mr.  Ede 
declared  he  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and  rushed  out  of  the 
house.  In  vain  the  women  tried  to  stop  him,  knowing  well 
what  the  consequences  would  be.  A  draught,  a  slight  ex- 
posure, amply  sufficed  to  give  him  a  cold,  and  with  him 
a  cold  always  ended  in  an  asthmatic  attack.  And  these 
were  often  so  violent  as  to  lay  him  up  for  weeks  at  a  time. 
In  the  present  instance  the  result  was  as  foreseen.    When 


A  Mummer's  Wife  5 

Mr.  Erie,  his  temper  grown  cooler  under  the  influence  of 
the  night  air,  returned,  he  was  coughing,  and  the  next  night 
found  him  breathless.  His  anger  had  at  first  vented  itself 
against  his  mother,  whom  he  refused  to  see,  and  thus  the 
whole  labor  of  nursing  him  was  thrown  on  Kate.  She 
did  not  grumble  at  this,  but  it  was  terrible  to  have  to  listen 
to  him. 

It  was  Mr.  Lennox,  and  nothing  but  Mr.  Lennox.  All 
the  pauses  in  the  suffocation  were  utilized  to  speak  on  this 
important  question,  and  even  now  Kate,  who  had  not  yet 
perceived  that  the  short  respite  which  the  getting  rid  of 
the  phlegm  had  given  him  was  coming  to  an  end,  expected 
him  to  say  something  concerning  the  still  unknown  person. 
But  Mr.  Ede  did  not  speak,  and,  to  put  herself  as  it  were 
out  of  suspense,  she  said,  referring  to  some  previous  con- 
versation— 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  right ;  the  only  people  in  the  town 
who  let  their  rooms  are  those  who  have  a  theatrical  con- 
nection." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  care,  I'm  going  to  have  a  bad  night,"  said 
Mr.  Ede,  who  now  thought  only  of  how  he  should  get  his 
next  breath. 

"  But  you  seemed  to  be  getting  better,"  she  replied  hur- 
riedly. 

"  Oh  !  oh !  I  feel  it  coming  on — I  am  suffocating.  Have 
you  got  the  ether  ?  " 

Without  answering,  Kate  made  a  rapid  movement  to- 
wards the  table.  Snatching  the  bottle  she  uncorked  it. 
The  sickly  odor  quietly  spread  like  oil  over  the  close  at- 
mosphere of  the  room ;  it  made  her  feel  sick,  but,  mastering 
her  repugnance,  she  held  it  to  him.  and,  in  the  hope  of 
obtaining  relief,  he  inhaled  it  greedily.  But  the  remedy 
proved  of  no  avail,  and  he  pushed  the  bottle  away. 

"Oh,  these  headaches!  My  head  is  splitting,"  he  said, 
after  a  deep  inspiration  which  seemed  as  if  it  would  cost 
him  his  life.  "  Nothing  seems  to  do  me  any  good.  Have 
you  got  some  of  those  cigarettes  ?  " 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  they  have  not  arrived  yet.  I  wrote 
for  them,"  she  replied,  hesitating;  "but  do  you  not 
think—?" 


6  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Shaking  his  head,  and  resenting  Kate's  assiduities,  with 
trembling  fingers  he  unfastened  the  shawl  she  had  placed 
on  his  shoulders.  He  did  this  in  order  to  have  his  chest 
entirely  free.  Then  planting  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  with 
a  fixed  head  and  elevated  shoulders,  he  gave  himself  up  to 
the  struggle  of  taking  breath. 

Kate  watched  him,  and  at  that  moment  she  would  have 
laid  down  her  life  to  save  him  from  the  least  of  his  pains. 
But  it  was  agony  to  sit  by  him,  listening  to  the  terrible 
sobbing,  and  to  know  that  nothing  could  be  done  to  relieve 
him.  There  he  lay  before  her,  helpless  in  his  suffering, 
moaning  piteously. 

She  had  seen  the  same  scene  repeated  a  hundred  times 
before,  but  it  never  seemed  to  lose  any  of  its  horror.  In  the 
first  month  of  her  marriage  she  had  been  frightened  almost 
out  of  her  life  by  one  of  these  asthmatic  attacks.  It  had 
come  on  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  she  remembered 
well  how  she  had  prayed  to  God  that  it  should  not  be  her 
fate  to  see  her  husband  die  at  her  very  feet,  and  in  such 
agony.  Now  she  knew  that  death  was  not  to  be  appre- 
hended, and  that  the  paroxysm  would  wear  itself  out,  but 
she  knew  also  of  the  horrors  that  would  have  to  be  endured 
before  the  time  of  relief  came.  She  could  count  them  upon 
her  fingers — she  could  see  it  all  as  in  a  vision — a  ghostly 
nightmare  that  would  drag  out  its  long  changes  until  the 
dawn  began  to  break.  Heaving  a  deep  sigh  as  she  antici- 
pated the  hours  of  the  night,  she  laid  her  hand  yearningly 
on  her  husband's.  It  was  cold  as  lead,  and  he  was  wet  with 
perspiration. 

"  Air — air !  I'm  suff — o — eating !  "  he  sobbed  out  with 
a  desperate  effort. 

Kate  ran  to  the  door  and  threw  it  open.  The  paroxysm 
had  now  reached  its  height.  Eesting  his  elbows  well  on  his 
knees  he  gasped  many  times,  but  before  the  inspiration 
was  complete  his  strength  failed  him.  So  exhausted  was  he 
that  no  want  but  that  of  breath  could  have  forced  him  to 
try  again ;  and  the  second  effort  was  even  more  terrible  than 
the  first.  A  great  upheaval,  a  great  wrenching  and  rock- 
ing, seemed  to  be  going  on  within  him;  the  veins  on  his 
forehead  were  distended,  the  muscles  of  his  chest  labored, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  7 

and  every  minute  seemed  as  if  it  were  going  to  be  his  last. 
However,  with  a  supreme  effort,  he  managed  to  breathe,  and 
then  there  was  a  moment  of  respite,  the  infinitesimal  pause 
before  the  process  of  expiration  began.  This,  although 
painful,  did  not  seem  to  distress  him  to  the  same  extent  as 
the  inspiration.  But  he  was  obviously  thinking  of  the  next 
struggle,  for  he  breathed  avariciously,  letting  the  air  that 
had  cost  him  so  much  agony  pass  slowly  through  his  lips. 

At  this  point  of  the  attack  it  is  impossible  for  the  patient 
to  remain  lying  down,  and  as  if  by  instinct,  divining  that 
in  his  present  position  another  inspiration  was  out  of  the 
question,  he  slipped  out  of  bed  and  attempted  to  gain  the 
window. 

A  very  ghastly  scene  then  followed.  Unable  to  proceed 
farther  than  the  table  where  she  was  in  the  habit  of  sitting, 
he  stopped  and  placed  his  hands  upon  it.  So  engrossed 
was  he  in  the  labor  of  breathing  that  he  pushed  the  paraf- 
fin lamp  roughly,  and  it  would  have  fallen  had  Kate  not 
been  there  to  catch  it.  She  besought  of  him  to  say  what 
he  wanted,  but  he  made  no  repl}^  and  continued  to  drag 
himself  from  one  piece  of  furniture  to  another.  Grasping 
the  back  of  a  chair,  with  his  head  thrown  back  and  his 
shoulders  raised  to  the  level  of  his  ears,  he  breathed  by 
jerks,  each  inspiration  being  accompanied  by  a  violent 
spasmodic  wrench,  violent  enough  it  seemed  to  break  open 
his  chest.  The  agony  he  appeared  to  be  in  was  appalling. 
Often  she  had  seen  him  suffer  until  she  thought  she  would 
go  mad  with  mingled  fear  and  pity ;  but  in  the  present  at- 
tack there  was  something  unnatural,  something  that  no 
constitution  could  endure  for  long. 

Tremblingly,  with  apprehension,  she  watched,  afraid  to 
leave  him,  expecting  every  moment  to  see  him  roll  over  a 
corpse.  Wildly  she  asked  herself  what  she  was  to  do,  for 
it  seemed  to  her  impossible  that  it  could  be  her  only  duty 
to  stand  by  him,  helplessly  wiping  away  the  great  drops  of 
perspiration  which  dripped  down  his  face  and  glistened 
at  the  end  of  his  beard. 

But  he  had  forbidden  her  ever  to  send  for  a  doctor,  ever 
to  leave  him,  and  for  the  last  five  years  she  had  heard  that 
there  was  no  real  remedy,  as  there  was  no  real  danger,  and 


8  A  Mummer's  Wife 

that  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  wait  patiently  until  the 
time  of  relief  came.  Kate  remembered  all  this,  and  she 
strove  to  reconcile  herself  to  the  task  of  watching  these 
remorseless  pantings.  She  strove  to  pray,  but  she  could 
not  abstract  her  thoughts  from  the  piteous  object  before 
her.  And  he  was  a  piteous  object.  A  long  pallid  face 
crushed  under  a  shock  of  dark  matted  hair,  a  dirty  night- 
dress draggling  round  a  pair  of  thin  legs,  was  the  meagre 
reality;  but  for  the  moment  the  grandeur  of  human  suffer- 
ing covered  him,  lifted  him  beyond  the  pale  of  loving  or 
loathing,  and  invested  and  clothed  him  in  the  pity  of  tragic 
things.  The  room,  too,  seemed  transfigured.  The  bare 
wide  floor,  the  gaunt  bed,  the  poor  walls  plastered  with 
religious  prints  cut  from  journals,  even  the  ordinary  furni- 
ture of  everyday  use — the  little  washhand-stand  with  the 
common  delf  ewer,  the  chest  of  drawers  that  might  have 
been  bought  for  thirty  shillings — lost  their  coarseness; 
their  triviality  disappeared,  until  nothing  was  seen  or  felt 
Init  this  one  suffering  man. 

The  minutes  went,  slipping  like  the  iron  teeth  of  a  saw 
over  Kate's  sensibilities.  A  hundred  times  she  had  run 
over  in  her  mind  the  list  of  remedies  she  had  seen  him  use. 
They  were  few  in  number,  and  none  of  any  real  service 
except  the  cigarettes  which  she  had  not.  Piteously  she 
asked  him  to  allow  her  to  try  iodine,  but  he  could  not  or 
would  not  make  her  any  answer.  With  his  nightshirt  torn 
open,  grasping  the  back  of  a  chair,  he  stood  rigid  and  ter- 
rible as  a  picture  of  Pain  by  Michael  Angelo. 

The  atmosphere  of  the  room  was  close  and  dusty,  and 
bitter  with  the  smell  of  medicine.  Kate  had  thought  of 
opening  the  window,  but  had  not  done  so  for  fear  of  giving 
him  cold;  but  he  now  moved  towards  it  of  his  own  accord. 
It  was  cruel  to  see  him  struggling,  but  he  resisted  any  as- 
sistance, and  alone  reached  the  toilet-table.  There,  how- 
ever, he  had  to  stop,  and  watching  like  one  in  a  dream, 
penetrated  with  her  own  powerlessness  to  save  or  avert, 
Kate  remained  crouching  by  the  fireplace  without  strength 
to  think  or  act,  until  she  was  suddenly  awakened  by  seeing 
him  relax  his  hold  and  slip  heavily  on  the  floor. 

Instantly  rushing  towards  him  and  stepping  over  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  9 

body,  she  tore  aside  the  curtains,  raised  the  sash,  and  let  the 
cool  air  into  the  room.  She  had  then  to  lift  him  from  the 
ground. 

By  putting  forth  her  whole  strength  she  could  get  him 
into  a  sitting  position,  but  when  she  attempted  to  place 
him  in  a  chair  he  slipped  through  her  arms.  There  was, 
therefore,  nothing  to  do  but  to  shriek  for  help,  and  hope 
to  awaken  her  morther-in-law.  The  echoes  rang  through 
the  house,  and  as  they  died  away,  appalled  she  listened  to 
the  silence.  At  length  it  grew  clear  that  Mrs.  Ede  could 
not  be  awakened,  and  Kate  saw  that  she  would  have  to 
trust  to  herself  alone. 

Entwining  both  arms  round  the  body,  she  endeavoured 
to  lift  him,  but  as  before,  when  she  got  him  nearly  to  the 
height  of  a  chair,  her  strength  was  exhausted,  and  she  was 
obliged  to  lay  him  back  again  on  the  floor.  After  two  or 
three  failures  she  determined  to  restore  him  to  conscious- 
ness before  attempting  to  move  him.  Placing  a  pillow 
under  his  head,  she  sprinkled  his  face  with  cold  water,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  was  rewarded  by  seeing  him  open  his  eyes. 

But  it  was  only  for  a  moment;  after  one  little  stare  he 
slipped  back  into  insensibility,  and  this  was  repeated  several 
times.  Kate,  however,  redoubled  her  efforts,  and  at  last 
Ealph  recovered  himself  permanently,  and  she  was  enabled 
to  place  him  in  a  chair.  Pale  and  chill,  he  sat  there  striv- 
ing and  struggling  with  his  breath,  unable  to  move,  and 
soaked  with  perspiration.  Then  she  buttoned  his  night- 
shirt across  his  poor  panting  chest,  and  covered  his  shoul- 
ders with  the  red  shawl.  He  submitted  like  a  child,  and  it 
was  with  a  thrill  of  pleasure  that  she  noticed  how  the  roar- 
ing of  his  breath  seemed  to  soften  in  sound. 

The  night  was  soft,  and  a  cool  breeze  blew  over  the  house- 
tops refreshingly  in  their  faces.  The  danger  of  his  catch- 
ing cold  again  was  very  great,  but  as  he  would  not  consent 
to  return  to  bed,  she  could  do  no  more  than  cover  him  up 
as  well  and  warmly  as  possible.  For  this  purpose  she 
fetched  a  blanket  from  her  bed  in  the  next  room,  wrapped 
it  firmly  round  and  tucked  it  under  his  legs.  He  then  ap- 
peared to  be  pretty  comfortable  and,  although  still  unable 
to  speak,  sat  quietly  in  his  chair.    With  a  sentiment  of  real 


10  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tenderness  she  took  his  hand  in  hers,  and  as  she  looked  at 
him  she  felt  her  heart  grow  larger. 

It  was  one  of  those  simple  and  ardent  emotions  that 
spring  from  the  human  heart  like  flowers  from  the  earth. 
Sitting  by  him  she  felt  quite  glad,  and  her  eyes  grew  soft 
with  the  happiness  that  welled,  bright  like  a  spring  of  pure 
water,  up  through  her  mind.  He  was  her  husband ;  he  had 
suffered  terribly,  and  was  now  getting  better ;  and  she  was 
his  wife,  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  him.  She  only  wished 
he  would  allow  her  to  love  him  a  little  better.  But  against 
her  will,  facts  pierced  through  this  luminous  mist  of  senti- 
ment, and  she  could  not  help  remembering  how  petulant  he 
was  with  her,  how  utterly  all  her  wishes  were  disregarded. 
"  What  a  pity  he  is  not  a  little  different,"  she  thought ;  and 
certain  romantic  recollections  flashed  across  her  faintly 
and  dimly,  for  they  were  too  far  distant  to  be  clear,  the  time 
was  too  pressing  for  them  to  endure,  and  when  she  looked 
at  him  and  saw  how  he  suffered,  all  other  thoughts  were 
once  more  drowned  and  swept  away.  She  forgot  how  he 
often  rendered  her  life  miserable,  well  nigh  unbearable,  by 
small  vices,  faults  that  defy  definition,  unending  selfishness 
and  unceasing  irritability.  But  now  all  dissatisfaction  and 
bitternesses  were  again  merged  into  a  sentiment  that  was 
akin  to  love;  and  in  this  time  of  physical  degradation  he 
possessed  her  perhaps  more  truly,  more  perfectly,  than  even 
in  his  best  moments  of  health. 

But  her  life  was  one  of  work,  not  of  musing,  and  there 
was  plenty  for  her  to  attend  to.  Ealph  would  certainly 
not  be  able  to  leave  his  chair  for  some  time  yet;  she  had 
wrapped  him  up  comfortably  in  a  blanlvct,  she  could  do  no 
more,  and  whilst  he  was  gradually  recovering  it  would  be 
as  well  to  tidy  up  the  room  a  bit.  There  were  slops  to 
empty,  and  he  would  never  be  able  to  sleep  in  a  bed  that 
he  had  been  lying  in  all  day. 

This  was  important,  for  he  generally  got  a  little  ease  to- 
wards morning,  particularly  after  a  l^ad  attack.  So,  hoping 
that  the  present  occasion  would  not  prove  an  exception, 
Kate  set  to  work  to  make  the  bed.  Eesolving  to  do  this 
thoroughly,  she  turned  the  mattress  over,  beating  it  and 
shaking  it  with  all  her  force.     She  did  the  same  with  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  11 

pillows,  and  fearing  that  there  might  be  a  few  crumbs  stick- 
ing to  the  sheets,  she  shook  them  out  several  times. 

When  the  last  crease  had  been  carefully  smoothed  away 
she  went  back  to  her  husband.  In  reply  to  her  many  ques- 
tions he  only  motioned  her  to  shut  the  window,  and  so  im- 
patiently that  she  feared  he  would  reproach  her  for  having 
left  it  open  so  long. 

Mr.  Ede,  although  he  could  not  yet  speak  or  even  breathe 
without  much  discomfort,  was  obviously  better.  The  vio- 
lence of  the  paroxysm  had  passed,  and  he  eventually  al- 
lowed her  to  lead  him  back  to  bed.  There  she  overwhelmed 
him  with  little  attentions.  She  insisted  on  being  allowed 
to  paint  his  back  with  iodine,  although  he  did  not  believe 
in  the  remedy ;  and  on  his  saying  he  was  thirsty  she  went 
groping  dowai  the  narrow  stairs  to  the  kitchen,  hunted  for 
the  matches  in  the  dark,  lighted  a  spirit-lamp,  and  made 
him  a  hot  drink. 

He  drank  it,  however,  without  a  word  or  look  of  thought- 
fulness,  and  she  felt  a  little  disappointed. 

These  duties  of  the  sickroom  were  followed  by  the 
dreariness  of  a  long  vigil.  She  was  now  wholly  tired. 
WTiilst  she  had  an}i;hing  to  do  she  could  bear  up ;  but  to 
sit  silently  watching  through  half-closed  eyelids  the  clouded 
outline  of  a  stooping  figure  in  the  shadow  of  the  bed, 
watching  with  aching  eyes  the  red  glimmer  of  the  lamp 
with  its  solitary  round  of  light  above  it  on  the  darkened 
ceiling,  and  listening  with  frightened  ears  to  the  long 
wheezing  of  the  asthmatic,  was  a  terrible  ordeal. 

She  had  had  very  little  sleep  for  the  last  two  nights,  and 
for  the  present  she  saw  no  prospect  of  being  able  to  leave 
him.    He  did  not  seem  to  grow  better. 

For  some  time  she  had  not  noticed  any  change  in  his  ap- 
pearance. Now  and  again  he  would  lie  down,  but  he  soon 
began  to  choke,  and  the  necessity  of  breathing  would  force 
him  into  a  sitting  position.  And  even  when  there  came  to 
him  a  short  moment  of  respite,  he  only  used  it  to  bemoan 
his  evil  fortune.  Leaning  over  the  side  of  the  bed,  in  an 
agonizing  voice  he  would  murmur — 

"  Oh,  will  this  ever  end?  Why  did  you  leave  that  win- 
dow open  so  long?    I  am  sure  it  has  made  me  worse." 


12  A   Mummer's  Wife 

These  complainings  wounded  Kate's  feelings,  and  the 
transient  glow  of  tenderness  she  had  felt  for  him  was  now 
lost  in  an  ntter  sense  of  lassitude.  Her  thoughts  slipped 
and  faded  into  a  dreamy  confusion,  and  in  her  ears  his 
astlimatic  breathing  throbbed  like  the  sound  of  distant 
falling  waters.  Sometimes  the  noise  would  awake  her, 
and  when  she  opened  her  eyes  she  would  look  at  him, 
fearing  vaguely  that  he  would  reproach  her  with  neglect. 
But  a  glance  sufficed  to  reassure  her  on  this  point.  In  his 
usual  position,  with  his  elbows  on  his  knees,  and  an  ex- 
pression of  extreme  distress  on  his  face,  he  labored  for 
breath,  quite  unconscious  of  what  was  passing  around 
him.  Seeing  this,  she  would  lie  back  to  be  blinded  again 
by  the  soft  veils  of  forgetfulness  in  whose  folds  she  felt 
herself  drifting  away.  A  great  blurred  heavy  thought, 
that  she  would  awake  to  find  her  husband  a  corpse,  op- 
pressed her;  she  reasoned  with  it  obtusel}-,  until  the  last 
shadow  of  sleep  fell  upon  her. 

How  long  she  slept  she  could  not  say,  but  suddenly  she 
was  awakened  by  her  husband's  voice  calling  to  her  peev- 
ishly. She  looked  up  abruptly  and  seeing  what  had  hap- 
pened, said — 

"  Oh,  I  am  sorry,  Ealph,  but  I  could  not  help  it.  I 
was  so  very  tired — ■" 

Mr.  Ede  was  lying  down,  and  the  dreadful  dyspnoea  was 
now  confined  to  a  low  wheezing.  He  had  been  looking 
at  his  wife  for  some  time,  but  as  the  remembrance  of  what 
he  had  sufl^ered  pierced  through  his  thoughts  the  expres- 
sion of  his  face  changed.  He  had  at  first  hesitated  before 
awakening  her,  but  as  the  door  had  been  left  open  he 
fancied  he  felt  a  draught;  he  could  not  resist  the  tempta- 
tion of  hearing  what  she  would  have  to  say  in  defense  of 
her  conduct. 

"  Do  I  want  anything  ?  "  he  said,  "  there  is  the  door 
wide  open,  and  I  might  have  died  for  anything  you  would 
have  known  or  cared." 

This  unmerited  reproof  brought  color  to  Kate's  face. 
She  walked  across  the  room  without  a  word  and  shut  the 
door,  but  as  she  came  back  to  her  place  she  said — 


A  Mummer's  Wife  13 

"  I  do  not  know  how  you  can  speak  to  me  so  ungrate- 
fully/^ 

"•  Prop  me  up ;  if  I  lie  so  low  I  shall  get  bad  again.  I 
wish  you  had  a  touch  of  this  asthma  yourself,  and  you 
would  know  then  what  it  is  to  be  left  alone  for  several 
hours." 

Frightened  at  this  accusation,  Kate  looked  at  the  clock, 
and  saw  she  had  been  asleep  a  little  more  than  half  an 
hour.  But  without  contradicting  him  she  arranged  the 
pillows  and  settled  the  blankets  up  under  his  chin.  Then 
thinking  it  would  perhaps  be  advisable  to  say  something, 
she  congratulated  liini  on  seeming  so  much  better. 

"  Better !  If  I  am  better  it  is  no  thanks  to  you,"  he 
said.  "  You  must  have  been  mad  to  have  left  the  window 
open  so  long." 

"  You  wanted  it  open ;  you  know  very  well  that  when 
you  are  very  bad  like  that  you  must  have  change  of  air. 
The  room  was  so  close." 

"  Yes,  but  that  is  no  reason  for  leaving  it  open  half  an 
hour." 

"  I  offered  to  shut  it  and  you  wouldn't  let  me." 

"  I  daresay  you  are  sick  of  nursing  me,  and  would  like 
to  get  rid  of  me.    The  window  was  not  a  bad  dodge." 

Kate  remained  silent,  being  too  indignant  for  the  mo- 
ment to  think  of  replying;  but  it  was  evident  from  her 
manner  that  she  would  not  be  able  to  contain  herself  much 
longer.  He  had  hurt  her  to  the  quick,  and  her  brown  eyes 
swam  with  tears.  He,  with  his  head  laid  back  upon  the 
built-up  pillows,  fumed  slowly,  trying  to  find  new  matter 
for  reproach,  and  breath  wherewith  to  explain  it.  At 
last  he  thought  of  the  cigarettes. 

"  Even  supposing  that  you  did  not  remember  how  long 
you  left  the  window  open,  I  cannot  understand  how  you 
forgot  to  send  for  the  cigarettes.  You  know  well  enough 
that  it  is  the  only  thing  that  relieves  me  when  I  am  in  this 
state.  I  think  it  was  most  unfeeling — yes,  most  unfeel- 
ing !  "  Having  said  so  much  he  leaned  forward  to  get 
breath,  and  coughed. 

"  You  had  better  lie  still,  Ralph;  you  will  only  make 


14  A  Mummer's  Wife 

yourself  bad  again.  Now  that  you  feel  a  little  easier  you 
should  try  to  go  to  sleep." 

So  far  she  got  without  betraying  any  emotion,  but  as 
she  continued  to  advise  him  her  voice  began  to  tremble, 
her  presence  of  mind  to  forsake  her,  and  she  burst  into  a 
flood  of  tears. 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  can  treat  me  as  you  do,"  she 
said,  sobbing  hysterically.  "  I  do  everything — I  give  up 
my  night's  rest  to  you,  I  work  hard  all  day  for  you,  and  in 
return  I  only  receive  hard  words.  Oh !  it  is  no  use,"  she 
said,  "  I  can  bear  it  no  longer ;  you  will  have  to  get  some 
one  else  to  mind  you." 

This  outburst  of  passion  came  suddenly  upon  Mr.  Ede, 
and  for  some  time  he  was  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed.  At 
last,  feeling  a  little  sorry,  he  resolved  to  make  it  up,  and 
putting  out  his  hand  to  her  he  said — 

"  Now,  don't  cry,  Kate ;  perhaps  I  was  wrong  in  speaking 
so  crossly.  I  didn't  mean  all  I  said — it  is  this  horrid 
asthma." 

"  Oh !  I  can  bear  anything  but  to  be  told  I  neglect  you 
— and  when  I  stop  up  watching  you  three  nights  run- 
ning— " 

These  little  quarrels  were  of  constant  occurrence.  Irri- 
table by  nature,  and  rendered  doubly  so  by  the  character 
of  his  complaint,  the  invalid  at  times  found  it  impossible 
to  restrain  his  ill-humor;  but  he  was  not  entirely  bad;  he 
had  inherited  a  touch  of  kindheartedness  from  his  mother, 
and  being  now  moved  by  Kate's  tears  he  said — 

"That's  quite  true,  and  I'm  sorry  for  what  I  said;  you 
are  a  good  little  nurse.  I  won't  scold  you  again.  Make 
it  up." 

But  Kate  found  it  hard  to  forget  merely  because  Ralph 
desired  it,  and  for  some  time  she  refused  to  listen  to  his 
expostulations,  and  walked  about  the  room  crying. 

But  her  anger  could  not  long  resist  the  dead  weight  of 
sleep  that  was  oppressing  her,  and  eventually  she  came  and 
sat  down  in  her  old  place  by  him.  The  next  step  to  recon- 
ciliation was  more  easy.  Kate,  although  quick-tempered, 
was  not  vindictive,  and  at  last,  amid  some  hysterical  sob- 
bing, peace  was  restored.    Then  Mr.  Ede  drifted  into  speak- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  15 

ing  of  his  asthma.  He  told  her  how  he  had  really  fancied 
he  was  going  to  die,  and  when  she  expressed  her  fear  and 
regret  he  hastened  to  assure  her  that  no  one  had  ever  died 
of  asthma — that  a  man  might  live  fifty,  sixty,  or  seventy 
years,  suffering  all  the  while  from  the  complaint.  It  did 
you  no  harm ;  it  was  merely  something  awful.  In  this  way 
he  rambled  on  until  words  and  ideas  together  failed  him, 
and  he  fell  asleep.  With  a  sigh  of  relief  Kate  rose  to 
her  feet,  and  seeing  that  he  was  settled  for  the  night  she 
turned  to  leave  him,  and  passed  into  her  room  with  a  slow 
and  dragging  movement.  But  the  place  had  a  look  so  cold 
and  unrestful  that  it  pierced  through  even  her  sense  of 
weariness.  For  a  moment  she  stood  trying  to  urge  her 
tired  brains  to  think  of  what  she  should  do.  At  last,  re- 
membering that  she  could  get  a  pillow  from  the  room  they 
reserved  for  letting,  she  turned  to  go. 

Facing  their  room,  and  only  divided  by  the  very  nar- 
rowest of  passages,  was  the  stranger's  apartment. 

Both  doors  were  approached  by  a  couple  of  steps,  which 
so  reduced  the  space  that  were  two  people  to  meet  on  the 
landing  one  would  have  to  give  way  to  the  other.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ede  found  this  proximity  to  their  lodger,  when  they 
had  one,  somewhat  inconvenient,  but,  as  he  said — 

"  One  didn't  get  ten  shillings  a  week  for  nothing." 

Kate  lingered  a  moment  on  the  threshold,  and  then, 
with  the  hand  in  which  she  held  the  novel  she  had  been 
reading,  she  picked  up  her  skirt  and  stepped  across  the 
way. 


CHAPTER   II 

OE  the  next  few  hours  Kate  lay  buried  in  a  dull, 
deep  sleep.  The  steam  tramways  had  been 
whistling  for  an  hour  or  more,  but  they  did  not 
awake  her,  and  it  was  not  until  nine  o'clock  that 
she  became  conscious  that  a  dark  figure  was  passing 
through  the  twilight  of  the  room.  At  first  she  could  not 
determine  who  it  was,  but  as  the  blinds  were  suddenly 
drawn  up  and  a  flood  of  sunlight  poured  across  the  bed, 
she  fell  back  amid  the  pillows,  having  recognized  her 
mother-in-law  in  a  painful  moment  of  semi-blindness.  The 
old  woman  carried  a  slop-pail,  which  she  nearly  dropped, 
so  surprised  was  she  to  find  Kate  in  the  stranger's  room, 

"  But  how  did  you  get  here  ?  "  she  said  hastily. 

"  Oh,  I  had  to  give  Ralph  my  pillow,  and  when  he  went 
to  sleep  I  came  to  fetch  one  out  of  the  bed-room  here ;  and 
then  I  thought  I  would  be  more  comfortable  here — I  was 
too  tired  to  go  back  again — I  don't  know  how  it  was — what 
does  it  matter  ?  " 

Kate,  who  was  stupefied  with  sleep,  had  answered  so 
crossly  that  Mrs.  Ede  did  not  speak  for  some  time ;  at  last, 
at  the  end  of  a  long  silence,  she  said — 

"  Then  he  had  a  very  bad  night  ?  " 

"  Dreadful !  "  returned  Kate.  "  I  never  was  so  much 
frightened  in  my  life." 

"  And  how  did  the  fit  come  on  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Ede,  deeply 
interested. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  tell  you  now,"  said  Kate.  "  I  am  so  tired. 
I  am  aching  all  over." 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  bring  you  up  your  breakfast.  And 
you  do  look  tired !    It  will  do  you  good  to  remain  in  bed." 

"  Bring  me  up  my  breakfast !  Then,  what  time  is  it  ?  " 
said  Kate  sitting  up  in  bed  with  a  start. 

"  What  does  it  matter  what  the  time  is  ?  If  you  are  tired, 
lie  still ;  I'll  see  that  everything  is  right." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  17 

"But  I  have  promised  Mrs.  Barnes  lier  dress  by  to- 
morrow night.  Oh,  my  goodness !  I  shall  never  get  it  done. 
Do  tell  me  what  time  it  is  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  is  just  nine,"  the  old  woman  answered  apolo- 
getically; "but  Mrs.  Barnes  will  have  to  wait;  you  can't 
kill  yourself.  It  is  a  great  shame  of  Ealph  to  have  you 
sitting  up  when  I  could  look  after  him  just  as  well,  and  all 
because  of  that  horrid  man." 

"  Oh,  don't,  mother,"  said  Kate,  who  knew  that  on  that 
subject  Mrs.  Ede  could  speak  for  a  good  half-hour;  and 
remembering  all  that  had  been  endured  for  the  sake  of  the 
letting  of  their  rooms,  she  took  the  old  woman's  coarse 
hands  in  hers,  and  looking  earnestly  in  her  face,  said — 

"  You  know,  mother,  I  have  a  hard  time  of  it,  and  I  try 
to  bear  up  as  well  as  I  can.  You  are  the  only  person  I  have 
to  help  me.  Well,  don't  you  turn  against  me.  Ealph  has 
set  his  mind  on  having  the  rooms  let.  Mr.  Lennox  is  com- 
ing here  to-day ;  it  is  all  settled.  Will  you  promise  me  not 
to  do  anything  to  unsettle  it?  Ealph  will  be  so  angry  if 
Mr.  Lennox  is  not  satisfied,  and  when  he  is  angry  you  know 
how  miserable  it  makes  us  all.  While  Mr.  Lennox  is  here, 
will  you  try  to  make  him  comfortable?  A  great  deal  de- 
pends on  you,  for  I  have  my  dressmaking  to  attend  to,  and 
I  cannot  be  always  after  him.  Now  will  you  do  this  thing 
for  me  ?  " 

They  were  the  greatest  friends,  and  Kate  often  thought 
that  if  she  had  not  this  steadfast,  kind-hearted  woman  to 
lean  on  that  she  would  never  be  able  to  bear  up  against  the 
hardships  of  her  life ;  and  in  her  turn  Mrs.  Ede  loved  her 
daughter-in-law  dearly,  perhaps  better  even  than  she  did 
her  own  son.  This  working  woman's  principles  were  as 
strong  as  they  were  narrow,  and  her  sorrow  arose  with  a 
gulp  in  her  throat  as  she  listened  to  Kate's  request.  She 
had  already  opposed  by  every  means  in  her  power  the  letting 
of  the  rooms  to  actors,  and  had  tolerably  well  satisfied  her 
conscience  by  so  doing.  But  her  position  in  this  household, 
although  strong  (she  had  an  annuity  of  thirty  pounds  a 
year),  was  not  impregnable,  and  she  felt  that  it  would 
perhaps  be  better  to  give  way  rather  than  risk  a  definite 
family  rupture.  Still  she  found  it  very  hard  when  the  time 
2 


18  A  Mummer's  Wife 

came  to  make  a  formal  surrender.  Kate's  entreaties  were, 
however,  difficult  to  resist,  and  after  a  moment  or  so  of 
indecision  she  said — 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  money  made  out  of  such  people 
can  bring  anyone  any  luck,  but  since  you  all  wish  it,  I 
suppose  I  must  give  way.  But  you  won't  be  able  to  say  I 
didn't  warn  you." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know  you  did,"  replied  Kate ;  "  but  will  you 
promise  not  to  be  disagreeable  to  him?  Since  we  cannot 
prevent  his  coming,  will  you  promise  that  whilst  he  is  here 
you  will  attend  to  him  just  as  you  did  to  the  other  gentle- 
man ?  " 

After  some  hesitation,  she  said :  "  I  shall  say  nothing  to 
him,  and  if  he  doesn't  make  the  house  a  disgrace,  I  shall 
be  well  satisfied." 

"  How  do  you  mean  a  disgrace  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  know,  my  dear,  that  actors  have  always  a 
lot  of  women  after  them,  and  I  for  one  am  not  going  to 
attend  on  wenches  like  them.  If  I  had  my  way  I'd  whip 
such  people  until  I  slashed  all  the  wickedness  out  of  them." 

"  But  he  won't  bring  any  women  here ;  we  won't  allow  it," 
said  Kate,  a  little  shocked,  and  she  strove  to  think  how 
they  should  put  a  stop  to  such  behavior.  "  If  Mr.  Lennox 
does  not  conduct  himself  properly " 

"  Of  course,  I  shall  try  to  do  my  duty,  and  if  Mr.  Lennox 
respects  him,self  I  shall  try  to  respect  him." 

Mrs.  Ede  spoke  these  words  very  hesitatingly,  but  the  ad- 
mission that  she  possibly  might  respect  Mr.  Lennox  satis- 
fied Kate,  and  not  wishing  to  press  the  matter  further, 
she  said,  suddenly  referring  to  their  previous  conversation : 

"  But  didn't  you  say  that  it  was  nine  o'clock  ?  " 

"  It  is  more  than  nine  now." 

"  Oh  Lord,  oh  Lord  !  how  late  I  am !  I  suppose  the  two 
little  girls  are  here  ?  " 

"  They  arrived  just  as  I  was  coming  upstairs,  but  I  set 
them  to  work." 

"  I  wish  you'd  get  the  tea  ready,  and  you  might  make 
some  buttered  toast;  Ealph  would  like  some,  and  so  should 
I,  for  the  matter  of  that." 

Then  Mr.  Ede's  voice  was  heard  calling,  and,  without 


A  Mummer's  Wife  19 

waiting  for  an  answer,  Kate  hurried  to  him.  When  she 
entered  he  had  his  back  turned  to  her,  and  was  endeavoring 
to  settle  himself.  Seeing  what  was  wanted,  she  hastened 
to  his  assistance. 

"  Where  were  you  last  night  ?  "  he  asked,  after  a  pause. 

"  I  slept  in  the  stranger's  room ;  1  thought  you  would 
not  require  me.  I  was  more  comfortable  there.  The  bed 
in  the  back  room  is  scarcely  bearable." 

He  did  not  answer  at  once,  but  continued  to  breathe 
heavily  in  a  way  that  made  her  fear  he  was  going  to  have 
another  attack. 

Kate  looked  at  him  earnestly.  Although  she  had  never 
loved  him,  his  utter  dependence  upon  her  had  endeared 
him  to  her.  She  had  known  nobody  else;  other  men  had 
only  passed  before  her  like  phantoms;  of  him  at  least  she 
had  a  distinct  knowledge,  and  had  he  been  a  little  kinder 
he  would  have  satisfied  her.  Her  dreams  did  not  fly  high, 
and  now  as  she  sat  by  him,  holding  his  clammy  hand,  she 
thought  she  would  have  felt  happy  were  she  sure  of  even  so 
much  affection.  A  little  love  would  have  made  her  life  so 
much  pleasanter.  It  did  not  matter  who  gave  it;  she  sighed 
for  a  little,  ever  so  little. 

"  Is  mother  in  a  great  rage  because  I  won't  let  her  in  ?  " 
he  said  presently. 

"  She  is  very  much  cut  up  about  it,  dear ;  you  know  she 
loves  you  better  than  anyone  in  the  world.  You  would 
do  well  to  make  it  up  with  her.'' 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  was  wrong,"  he  said  after  a  time,  and 
•with  good  humor,  "  but  she  annoys  me  so  dreadfully.  She 
will  interfere  in  everything;  as  if  I  hadn't  a  right  to  let 
my  rooms  to  whom  I  pleased.  Of  course  she  pays  for  all 
she  has  here,  but  I  would  much  sooner  she  left  us  than 
be  lorded  over  in  that  way." 

"  She  does  not  want  to  lord  it  over  you,  dear.  It  is  all 
arranged.  She  promised  me  just  now  she  would  say  noth- 
ing more  about  it ;  indeed  she  promised  she  would  be  quite 
agreeable  to  Mr.  Lennox." 

At  this  announcement  of  submission  to  his  will  the  in- 
valid smiled  cheerfully.  He  declared  he  was  right ;  he  was 
sure  Mr.  Lennox  would  turn  out  very  well;  that  the  only 


20  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tiling  he  regretted  was  the  trouble  an  extra  person  in  the 
house  would  give  his  wife  and  mother. 

"  But  I  shall  soon  be  well,"  he  said,  with  a  faint  show  of 
irony.  "  I  fancy  the  worst  is  over  now,  and  I  daresay  I 
shall  be  downstairs  looking  after  the  shop  in  a  week,  and 
that  will  take  a  lot  oif  your  hands." 

Against  such  imprudence  Kate  protested.  She  declared 
that  they  could  get  on  without  him,  owing,  vshe  was  careful 
to  add,  so  as  not  to  offend  his  vanity,  to  the  terrible  slack- 
ness of  business.  This  led  to  a  small  conversation  concern- 
ing the  state  of  trade,  and  then  Kate  suggested  that  she 
should  go  and  see  after  his  breakfast.  Mr.  Ede  had  no 
olijection  to  offer,  so  bidding  him  good-bye  for  the  moment 
she  went  downstairs.  When  she  entered  the  front  kitchen 
she  found  Annie  assisting  Mrs.  Ede  to  make  the  toast. 
Lizzie  stood  at  the  table  buttering  it  and  piling  it  upon  a 
plate.  As  it  was  against  Kate's  theories  that  apprentices 
should  assist  in  the  household  work,  the  two  broAvn-haired 
little  girls  drew  their  chairs  to  the  table  under  the  window 
and  commenced  sewing;  Kate  and  Mrs.  Ede  coming  to  and 
from  the  kitchen  arranged  the  table  for  breakfast.  When 
all  was  ready  Mrs.  Ede  remembered  that  she  had  to  make 
her  peace  with  her  son,  and,  seizing  the  tray,  she  went 
upstairs. 

"While  she  was  away  Kate  sat  do\vn  wearily  on  the  red 
calico-covered  sofa.  Like  an  elongated  arm-chair,  it  looked 
quaint,  neat,  and  dumpty,  pushed  up  against  the  wall 
between  the  black  fireplace  on  the  right  and  the  little  win- 
dow shaded  with  the  muslin  blinds,  under  which  a  pot  of 
greenstuff  bloomed  freshly.  Overpowered  by  the  labor  and 
excitement  of  the  night,  Kate  lay  back  thinking  vaguely. 
Her  cup  of  hot  tea  was  uppermost  in  her  mincl,  and  she 
hoped  that  ]\Irs.  Ede  would  not  keep  her  long  waiting. 
Then  as  her  thoughts  detached  themselves,  she  remembered 
the  actor  whom  they  expected  that  afternoon.  The  annoy- 
ances which  he  had  unconsciously  caused  her  had  linked 
him  to  her  in  a  curious  way,  and  in  the  sensation  of  near- 
ness that  each  succeeding  hour  magnified,  all  her  prejudices 
vanished,  and  she  wondered  who  tliis  being  was  who,  even 
before  she  had  seen  him,  had  brought  so  much  trouble  into 


A  Mummer's  Wife  21 

her  life.  As  the  word  trouble  went  through  her  mind 
she  paused,  arrested  by  a  passing  feeling  of  sentimentality; 
but  it  explained  nothing,  defined  nothing,  only  touched  her 
as  a  breeze  does  a  flower,  and  floated  away.  The  dreamy 
warmth  of  the  fire  absorbed  her  more  direct  feelings,  and 
•  for  some  moments  she  dozed  in  a  haze  of  dim  sensuousness 
and  emotive  numbness.  As  in  a  dusky  glass  she  saw  herself 
a  tender,  loving,  but  unhappy  woman ;  by  her  side  were  her 
querulous  husband  and  her  kind-minded  mother-in-law, 
and  then  there  was  a  phantom  she  could  not  determine, 
and  behind  it  something  into  which  she  could  not  see.  Was 
it  a  distant  country? — was  it  a  scene  of  revelry?  Impos- 
sible to  say,  for  whenever  she  attempted  to  find  definite 
shapes  in  the  glowing  colors,  they  vanished  in  a  blurred 
confusion. 

But  amid  these  fleeting  visions  there  was  one  shape  that 
particularly  interested  her,  and  she  pursued  it  tenaciously, 
until  in  a  desperate  efi^ort  to  define  its  features  she  awoke 
with  a  start ;  and,  disappointed  to  find  she  had  been  dream- 
ing, she  spoke  more  crossly  than  she  intended  to  the  little 
girls,  who  had  pulled  aside  the  curtain  and  were  intently 
examining  the  huge  theatrical  poster  which  adorned  the 
corner  of  the  lane.  But  as  she  scolded  she  could  not  help 
smiling,  for  she  saw  how  her  dream  had  been  made  out 
of  the  red  and  blue  dresses  of  the  picture. 

The  arrival  of  each  new  company  in  the  town  was  an- 
nounced pictorially  on  this  corner  wall,  and,  in  the  course 
of  the  year,  j^retty  well  all  the  vicissitudes  to  which  human 
life  is  liable  received  an  ample  illustration  there.  One 
week  showed  wrecks  at  sea,  robberies  on  the  highways, 
prisoners  perishing  in  dungeons;  and  these  terrible  events 
were  interlarded  with  green  lanes  and  lovers,  babies,  glow- 
ing hearths,  and  heroic  young  husbands.  The  opera  com- 
panies were,  however,  more  frivolously  inclined.  Their 
pictures  were  concerned  only  with  crowds  of  strangely 
dressed  people  and  gallants  kissing  their  hands  to  ladies 
standing  on  balconies. 

In  the  pauses  of  their  work  the  little  girls  examined  these 
pictures  and  commented  on  them ;  and  on  Saturdays  it  was 
a  matter  of  the  keenest  speculation  what  the  following 


22  A  Mummer's  Wife 

week  would  bring  them.  Lizzie  preferred  exciting  scenes 
of  murder  and  arson,  while  Annie  was  moved  more  by 
passionate  pleadings,  leavetakings,  and  declarations  of  un- 
alterable affection.  These  differences  of  taste  often  gave 
rise  to  little  bickerings,  and  last  week  there  had  been  much 
prophesying  as  to  whether  the  tragic  or  the  sentimental* 
element  would  prove  the  staple  ingredient  of  next  week's 
illustrations.  Lizzie  had  voted  for  robbers  and  mountains, 
Annie  for  lovers  and  a  nice  cottage.  And,  remembering 
their  little  dispute,  Kate,  who  from  the  sofa  could  only 
see  some  violet  and  green  dresses,  said : 

"  Well,  dears,  is  it  a  robber  or  a  sweetheart  ?  " 

"  We  are  not  sure,"  exclaimed  both  children  in  a  dis- 
appointed tone  of  voice ;  "  we  can't  make  the  picture  out." 
Then  Lizzie,  who  cared  little  for  uncertainties,  said : 

"  It  isn't  a  nice  picture  at  all ;  it  is  all  mixed  up.  " 

"  Not  a  nice  picture  at  all,  and  all  mixed  up  ? "  said 
Kate,  smiling,  yet  interested  in  the  conversation.  "  And  all 
mixed  up;  how  is  that?  I  must  see  if  I  can  make  it  out 
myself." 

The  huge  poster  contained  some  figures  nearly  life-size. 
It  showed  a  young  girl  in  a  bridal  dress  and  wreath  strug- 
gling between  two  police  agents  who  had  arrested  her  in  a 
market  place  of  old  time,  in  a  strangely  costumed  crowd, 
who  were  clamoring  violently.  The  poor  bridegroom  was 
being  held  back  by  his  friends ;  a  handsome  young  man  in 
knee  breeches  and  a  cocked  hat  watched  the  proceedings 
cynically  in  the  right-hand  corner,  whilst  on  the  left  a  big 
fat  man  frantically  endeavored  to  recover  his  wig,  which 
had  been  lost  in  the  melee.  This  glaring  advertisement  was 
headed  "  Morton  and  Cox's  Operatic  Company,"  and  con- 
cluded with  the  announcement  that  Madame  Angot  would 
be  played  at  the  Queen's  Theatre,  Hanley.  After  a  few  mo- 
ments spent  in  examining  the  picture,  which  puzzled  her 
quite  as  much  as  it  did  the  children,  Kate  suggested  that  it 
must  have  something  to  do  with  France. 

"  Angot  isn't  an  English  name,  and  the  dresses  look 
French." 

This  explanation  rendered  the  children  thoughtful ;  but 
although  they  willingly  admitted  that  the  unintelligibility 


A  Mummer's  Wife  23 

of  the  picture  was  fully  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  it 
was  a  French  one,  they  did  not  seem  to  grow  less  anxious 
to  solve  the  riddle. 

"  I  know  what  it  means,"  cried  Lizzie,  who  had  in  the 
meanwhile  been  thinking  how  the  picture  could  be  ex- 
plained into  signifying  a  scene  of  atrocious  cruelty ;  "  you 
see  that  old  chap  on  the  right?  Well,  he  is  a  rich  man 
who  has  sent  the  two  policemen  to  carry  the  bride  to  his 
castle,  and  it  is  the  young  fellow  in  the  corner  who  has 
betrayed  them." 

The  ingenuity  of  this  explanation  took  Kate  and  Annie 
so  much  by  surprise  that  for  the  moment  they  could  not 
attempt  to  controvert  it,  and  remained  silent  whilst  Lizzie 
looked  at  them  triumphantly.  The  more  they  examined 
the  picture  the  more  clear  did  it  appear  that  Lizzie  was 
right.    At  the  end  of  a  long  pause  Kate  said — 

"  Anyhow,  we  shall  soon  know,  for  one  of  the  actors  of 
the  company  is  coming  here  to  lodge,  and  we  will  ask  him." 

"  A  real  actor  coming  here  to  lodge  ?  "  exclaimed  Annie. 
"  Oh,  how  nice  that  will  be !  And  will  he  take  us  to  see 
the  play  ?  " 

"  How  silly  of  you,  Annie,"  said  Lizzie,  who,  proud  of 
her  successful  explanation  of  the  poster,  was  a  little  in- 
clined to  think  she  knew  all  about  actors.  "  How  can  he 
take  us  to  the  play  ?  Isn't  he  going  to  act  it  himself  ?  But 
do  tell  me,  Mrs.  Ede,  is  he  the  one  in  the  cocked  hat  ?  " 

"  I  hope  at  all  events  he  isn't  the  fat  man  who  has  lost 
his  wig,"  said  Annie,  looking  mournfully  at  her  elder  sister. 

"  I  don't  know  which  of  those  gentlemen  is  coming  here. 
For  all  I  know  it  may  the  policeman,"  Kate  added  malici- 
ously. 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Ede,  I  hope  not !  "  exclaimed  Annie  and 
Lizzie  with  one  accord. 

Kate  smiled  at  the  children's  earnestness,  and  wishing  to 
keep  up  the  joke,  said — 

"  You  know,  my  dear,  they  are  only  sham  policemen,  and 
are,  I  daresay,  very  nice  gentlemen  in  reality." 

Annie  and  Lizzie  hung  down  their  heads ;  it  was  evident 
they  had  no  sympathies  with  policemen,  not  even  with  sham 
ones. 


24  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  But  if  it  isn't  a  policeman,  who  would  you  like  it  to  be, 
Lizzie  ?  "  said  Kate. 

"  Oh,  the  man  in  the  cocked  hat,"  replied  Lizzie  with- 
out hesitation. 

"  And  you,  Annie  ?  " 

Annie  looked  puzzled,  and  after  a  moment  said,  with  a 
slight  whimper — 

"  Lizzie  always  takes  what  I  want .    I  was  just  going 


"  Oh  yes,  miss,  we  know  all  about  that,"  returned  Lizzie 
derisively.  "  Annie  never  can  choose  for  herself,  she  always 
tries  to  imitate  me.  She'll  have  the  man  who's  lost  his 
wig !  Oh  yes,  yes !  isn't  it  so,  Mrs.  Ede  ?  Isn't  Annie  going 
to  marry  the  man  who's  lost  his  wig  ?  " 

Annie's  eyelids  trembled  with  tears  at  these  bitter  sallies, 
but  as  she  happened  at  that  moment  to  catch  sight  of  the 
young  man  in  white,  she  declared  triumphantly  that  she 
would  choose  him. 

"  Well  done,  Annie,"  said  Kate  laughing  as  she  patted 
the  child's  curls,  but  in  so  doing  her  eyes  fell  on  the  neg- 
lected apron,  and  seeing  how  crookedly  it  was  being  hemmed 
she  said  reprovingly — 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  this  is  very  bad ;  you  must  go  back,  undo 
all  you  have  done  this  morning,  and  get  it  quite  straight." 

Bending  over  the  table  she  undid  some  three  or  four 
inches  of  the  sewing,  and  then  showed  the  child  how  the 
hem  was  to  be  turned  in.  She  did  this  methodically,  all 
the  while  thinking  of  what  had  just  been  said.  A  smile 
moved  round  the  corners  of  her  thin  lips ;  it  amused  her  to 
wonder  which  of  these  men  was  coming  to  lodge  at  her 
house.  At  this  moment  Mrs.  Ede  arrived  upon  the  scene; 
she  entered  expostulating,  but  Kate  could  only  catch  the 
words  "  waiting  "  and  "  breakfast  cold  "  and  "  sorry."  The 
little  girls,  who  lived  in  a  constant  state  of  awe  of  the  old 
lady,  returned  to  their  work.  The  two  women  sat  down  to 
breakfast. 

"  How  could  you,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Ede,  "  think  of  leav- 
ing the  window  open  so  long?  He  might  have  caught  his 
death.    He  says  he  was  very  bad  last  night." 

"  Oh,  dreadful/'  said  Kate.    "  I  never  was  so  frightened 


A  Mummer's  Wife  25 

in  all  my  life;  I  called  and  called  for  you,  but  nothing 
would  awake  you." 

This  charge  of  sleepyheadedness  seemed  to  discounten- 
ance her,  but  to  hold  her  tongue  was  an  impossibility,  and 
during  breakfast  she  jerked  out  comments  on  things  in 
general  and  the  actor  in  particular.  She  hoped  that  he 
wouldn't  give  them  much  trouble;  above  all  that  he 
wouldn't  keep  late  hours,  and  she  questioned  Kate  minutely 
as  to  what  was  going  to  be  done  regarding  the  latch  key. 
•  She  referred  also  to  the  evils  of  bad  company,  and  trusted 
that  because  they  had  an  actor  in  the  house  that  that 
wouldn't  be  a  reason  for  frequenting  the  theatre  and  falling 
into  idle  habits.  Then  the  conversation  turned  on  Miss 
Hender,  Kate's  assistant.  This  young  woman  was  one  of 
Mrs.  Ede's  particular  dislikes.  Of  her  moral  character  she 
had  the  gravest  doubts,  for  what  could  be  expected  of  a 
person  who  turned  up  her  nose  when  she  was  asked  to  stay 
and  attend  evening  prayers,  and  who  kept  company  with  a 
stage  carpenter? 

She  did  not  cease  talking  until  Miss  Hender  entered. 
There  were  then  many  apologies  for  being  an  hour  behind 
time,  but  she  really  could  not  help  it.  Her  sister  had  been 
very  ill,  and  she  had  been  obliged  to  sit  up  with  her  all 
night.  Mrs.  Ede  smiled  at  this  explanation,  and  withdrew 
into  the  shop,  leaving  Miss  Hender  to  gaze  after  her  in 
scorn.  Kate  doubted  the  truth  of  the  excuse  put  forward 
by  her  assistant,  but  she  said  nothing,  and  the  conversation 
shortly  after  turned  on  the  aprons  the  little  girls  were  mak- 
ing. She  explained  that  she  had  bought  a  dozen  of  a 
traveller  who  had  called  upon  her,  and  she  had  sold  two 
yesterday  and  three  the  day  before,  so  she  thought  she 
could  not  do  better  than  cut  out  a  few  more  after  the  same 
pattern. 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  ma'am,"  replied  Miss  Hender 
smartly,  "  they  are  quite  pretty,  nice,  and  tasty,  without 
being  common." 

]\Iiss  Hender  tried  hard  to  think  what  else  she  could  say 
that  would  delay,  were  it  only  for  a  few  minutes,  the  in- 
evitable going  up  to  the  workroom.  Kate  herself  felt  lazy ; 
it  was  too  soon  after  breakfast,  but  she  remembered  that 


26  A   Mummer's  Wife 

Mrs.  Barnes's  dress  had  been  promised  for  Tuesday  morn- 
ing, and,  awakening  from  her  reverie  with  a  start,  she 
said — 

"  Come,  we  are  wasting  all  the  morning ;  we  must  get 
on  with  Mrs.  Barnes's  dress."    They  went  upstairs. 

Miss  Render  was  a  stout,  buxom,  carotty-haired  girl  of 
twenty,  who  worked  solely  in  order  to  have  money  to  spend 
when  she  went  out  to  enjoy  herself  with  the  stage  carpenter. 
She  was  always  full  of  information  concerning  things  theat- 
rical, and  she  considered  it  an  unfortunate  circumstance 
that  her  employer  took  so  little  interest  in  the  big  red 
house  in  Queen  Street.  Such  funny  things  were  continually 
happening  there,  and  she  was  sure  that  the  hours  in  the 
workroom  would  not  seem  half  so  long  if  Kate  would  wake 
up  a  bit,  go  to  the  play,  and  chat  about  what  was  going  on 
in  the  town.  It  seemed  incredible  to  Miss  Hender  that  any- 
one could  exist  who  did  not  go  to  the  theatre  above  twice  in 
the  year.  Besides,  there  was  that  horrid  old  woman  always 
hanging  about,  with  religion  and  salvation.  It  made  her 
(Miss  Hender)  feel  sick.  She  hadn't  time  for  such  things, 
and  as  for  Bill,  he  said  it  was  all  "  Tommy  rot."  Beyond 
these  excellent  reasons  for  disliking  Mrs.  Ede,  she  sus- 
pected that  "  the  hag,"  as  she  called  her,  had  tried  to  get 
her  dismissed.  This  conviction  afforded  Miss  Hender 
much  satisfaction,  and  when  she  had  heard  that  there  was 
a  question  of  admitting  an  actor  into  the  house  as  a  lodger, 
she  had  not  failed  to  suggest  that  no  one  in  the  town  could 
hope  to  keep  their  rooms  let  except  through  a  theatrical 
connection. 

Miss  Hender,  although  a  lazy  and  dissolute  girl,  was  an 
excellent  workwoman,  and  seeing  from  Kate's  manner  that 
the  time  had  not  come  for  conversation,  she  applied  herself 
diligently  to  her  business. 

Placing  the  two  side-seams  and  the  back  under  the 
needle,  she  gave  the  wheel  a  turn,  and  then  worked  the  ma- 
chine with  her  feet.  Rapidly  the  little  steel  needle  darted 
up  and  down  into  the  glistening  silk,  which  Miss  Render's 
thick  hands  pushed  methodically  forward.  The  work  was 
too  delicate  to  admit  of  any  distraction,  so  for  some  time 
nothing  was  heard  but  the  clinking  rattle  of  the  machine 


A  Mummer's  Wife  27 

and  the  "  swishing  "  of  the  silk  as  Kate  drew  it  across  the 
table  and  snipped  it  with  the  scissors  which  hung  from 
her  waist. 

But  at  the  end  of  about  half  an  hour  the  work  came  to  a 
pause.  Miss  Hender  had  finished  sewing  up  the  body  and 
had  tacked  on  the  facings.  Kate  had  cut  out  the  skirt 
and  basted  it  together.  The  time,  therefore,  had  arrived 
for  interchanging  a  few  words.  Her  promise  to  Mrs. 
Barnes  had  been  the  subject  of  her  thoughts.  Lifting  her 
head  from  her  work,  she  asked  Miss  Hender  if  she  could  re- 
main that  evening  and  do  a  little  overtime.  Miss  Hender 
said  she  was  very  sorry,  but  it  was  the  first  night  of  the  new 
opera  company,  and  she  had  passes  for  the  pit,  and  had 
promised  to  take  a  friend  with  her.  She  would,  therefore, 
have  to  hurry  away  a  little  before  six,  so  as  to  have  her  tea 
and  be  dressed  in  time. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  do,"  said  Kate,  sorrow- 
fully. "  As  for  myself,  I  simply  couldn't  pass  another 
night  out  of  bed.  You  know  I  was  up  minding  my  husband 
all  night.  Attending  a  sick  man,  and  one  as  cross  as  Kalph, 
is  not  very  nice,  I  can  assure  you." 

Miss  Hender  congratulated  herself  inwardly  that  Bill 
was  never  likely  to  want  much  attendance. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  tell  Mrs.  Barnes  that  she  can't 
expect  the  dress;  it  will  be  impossible  to  get  it  done  in  the 
time.  I'd  be  delighted  to  help  you,  but  I  couldn't  disap- 
point my  little  friend.  Besides,  you  have  Mr.  Lennox  com- 
ing here  to-day ;  you'll  have  to  look  after  the  rooms.  You 
can't  get  the  dress  done  by  to-morrow  night." 

Miss  Hender  had  been  waiting  for  a  long  time  for  an 
opportunity  to  lead  up  to  Mr.  Lennox. 

"  Oh,  dear  me !  "  said  Kate,  "  I  had  forgotten  him,  and 
he'll  be  coming  this  afternoon,  and  may  want  some  dinner, 
and  I'll  have  to  help  mother." 

"  They  always  have  dinner  in  the  afternoon,"  said  Miss 
Hender,  with  a  feeling  of  pride  at  being  able  to  speak 
authoritatively  on  the  ways  and  habits  of  actors. 

"  Do  they  ?  "  replied  Kate,  reflectively ;  and  then,  sud- 
denly remembering  her  promise  to  the  little  girls,  she  said — 

"  But  do  you  know  what  part  he  takes  in  the  play  ?  " 


28  A   Mummer's  Wife 

Miss  Hender  smiled.  She  always  looked  pleased  when 
questioned  about  the  theatre,  but  on  this  occasion  her 
pleasure  was  not  unmingled  with  regret.  All  the  stage  car- 
penter had  been  able  to  tell  her  about  the  company  was  that 
it  was  one  of  the  best  travelling;  that  Frank  Bret,  the 
tenor,  was  supposed  to  have  a  wonderful  voice;  that  the 
amount  of  presents  he  received  in  each  town  from  ladies 
in  the  upper  ranks  of  society  would  set  up  a  small  shop; 
and  with  a  greedy-looking  smile  on  her  face  she  concluded — 

"  'Tis  said  that  they'd  sell  the  shoes  off  their  feet  for 
him.'' 

Kate  laughed,  at  the  same  time  trying  to  assume  the 
appearance  of  being  shocked.  Miss  Hender  continued  her 
comments.  The  stage  carpenter  had  also  informed  her 
that  Joe  Mortimer's  performance  in  the  Cloches  was  extra- 
ordinary— that  he  invarial)ly  brought  the  house  down  in 
his  big  scene  with  the  gold ;  and  that  Lucy  Leslie  was  the 
best  Clairette  going. 

Now  that  they  were  going  to  have  an  actor  lodging  in 
their  house,  Kate  felt  a  certain  interest  in  hearing  what 
such  people  were  like;  and  she  congratulated  herself  that 
it  was  not  Mr.  Lennox  whom  the  ladies  ran  after;  while 
Miss  Hender  gossiped  about  all  she  had,  or  imagined  she 
had,  heard.  Suddenly  Kate  remembered  that  her  question 
relating  to  Mr.  Lennox  had  remained  unanswered. 

"  But  you  have  not  told  me  what  part  Mr.  Lennox  plays. 
Perhaps  he  is  the  man  in  white  who  is  being  dragged  away 
from  his  bride  ?  " 

In  making  this  suggestion  her  thoughts  reverted  to  what 
the  little  girls  had  said  on  the  subject,  and  without  quite 
knowing  why,  she  now  began  to  hope  that  she  would  find 
Mr.  Lennox  something  that  might  command  admiration. 

Miss  Hender  thought  of  him  as  a  sort  of  avatar  who  was 
coming  to  herald  a  new  age — an  age  made  up  of  drinks, 
laughter  and  coarse  jokes,  and  the  suggestion  coming  from 
her  mistress  that  he  might  be  going  to  play  the  part  of  the 
bridegroom  had  so  astonished  her  that  she  could  only  raise 
her  head  from  her  sewing  and  wait  for  an  explanation. 
Divining  the  cause  of  her  embarrassment,  Kate  said,  laugh- 
ing— 


A  Mummer's  Wife  29 

"  I  have  been  examining  the  big  picture ;  the  little  girls 
were  so  curious  to  know  what  it  meant/' 

The  explanation  seemed  to  disappoint  Miss  Hender. 
However,  at  the  end  of  a  long  silence  she  said,  like  a  person 
after  mature  reflection — 

"  Yes,  he  may  play  that  part ;  it  is  called  Pom — Pom — 
Pouct — I  can't  pronounce  it  right,  it  is  French.  But  in 
any  case  you'll  find  him  very  nice.  All  theatre  people  are 
nice.  The  other  day  I  went  behind  to  talk  to  Bill,  and  Mr. 
Eickett  stopped  to  speak  to  me  as  he  was  running  to  make  a 
change." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  asked  Kate,  somewhat  bewildered. 

"  Oh,  they  call  dressing  in  a  hurry,  making  a  change." 

"  I  hope  you  won't  get  into  trouble ;  stopping  out  so  late 
is  very  dangerous  for  a  young  girl.  And  I  suppose  you 
walk  up  Piccadilly  with  him  after  the  play  ?  " 

"  Sometimes  he  takes  me  out  for  a  drink,"  replied  Miss 
Hender,  anxious  to  avoid  a  discussion  on  the  subject,  but 
at  the  same  time  tempted  to  make  a  little  boast  of  her 
independence.  "  But  you  must  come  and  see  Madame 
Angut;  I  hear  it  is  going  to  be  beautifully  put  on,  and  Mr. 
Lennox  is  sure  to  give  you  a  ticket." 

"  I  daresay  I  should  like  it  very  much ;  I  don't  have  much 
amusement." 

"  Indeed  you  don't,  and  what  do  you  get  for  it  ?  I  don't 
see  that  Mr.  Ede  is  so  kind  to  you  for  all  the  minding  and 
nursing  you  do ;  and  old  Mrs.  Ede  may  repeat  all  day  long 
that  she  is  a  Christian  woman,  and  what  else  she  likes,  but 
it  doesn't  make  her  anything  less  disagreeable.  I  wouldn't 
live  in  a  house  with  a  mother-in-law — and  such  a  mother- 
in-law  ! " 

As  she  spoke  of  Mrs.  Ede,  Miss  Hender  got  her  words 
out  in  a  hurry,  knowing  well  that  her  mistress  would  not 
allow  her  mother-in-law  to  be  abused  in  her  presence.  But 
Kate,  who  was  very  tired  and  out  of  spirits,  instead  of  in- 
dignantly repudiating  Miss  Hender's  words,  contented  her- 
self with  answering — 

"  You  don't  get  on  with  Mrs.  Ede,  but  I  don't  know  what 
I  should  do  without  her :  she  is  the  only  friend  I  have." 

"  That's  not  so,"  said  Miss  Hender,  looking  affectionately 


30  A   Mummer's   Wife 

at  Kate,  for  she  really  liked  her  employer,  although  she 
could  not  help  feeling  some  contempt  for  her  scruples  of 
conscience.  "  Half  your  time  you  are  shut  up  in  a  sick-room, 
and  even  when  he  is  well  he  is  always  blowing  and  wheez- 
ing.   He's  not  the  man  that  would  suit  me." 

"  Ealph  is  very  good  to  me.  He  can't  help  being  cross 
sometimes,"  said  Kate,  who  was  thinking  of  the  fatigue  of 
last  night's  watching.  She  felt  it  still  in  her  bones,  and  her 
eyes  ached.  As  she  considered  the  hardships  of  her  life, 
her  manner  grew  more  abandoned.  Miss  Hender  wondered 
what  her  companion  was  thinking  about,  and  waited  im- 
patiently for  her  to  speak.  Eeverie  was  less  to  this  young 
woman's  taste  even  than  work,  and  noticing  the  skirt  that 
was  slipping  on  the  floor,  she  said — 

"  If  you'll  let  me  have  the  skirt,  ma'am,  I'll  stitch  it  up." 

Kate  handed  her  the  silk  wearily,  and  was  about  to  speak 
when  Mrs.  Ede  entered. 

"  Mr.  Lennox  is  downstairs,"  she  said,  sternly.  "  I  don't 
know  what  you'll  think  of  him.  I'm  a  Christian  woman 
and  I  don't  want  to  misjudge  any  one,  but  he  looks  to  me 
like  a  person  of  very  loose  ways." 

Kate  flushed  a  little  red  with  surprise.  After  a  moment 
she  said — 

"  I  suppose  I  had  better  go  down  and  see  him.  But  per- 
haps he  won't  like  the  rooms  after  all.  What  shall  I  say 
to  him  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  I  can't  tell  you,"  said  Mrs.  Ede,  somewhat 
testily.    "  I  have  the  dinner  to  attend  to." 

"  But,"  said  Kate,  getting  frightened,  "  you  promised  me 
not  to  say  any  more  on  this  matter." 

"  Oh,  I  say  nothing.  I'm  not  mistress  here.  I  told  you 
that  I  would  not  interfere  with  Mr.  Lennox;  no  more  I  will. 
Why  should  I  ?  What  right  have  I  ?  But  I  may  warn  you, 
and  I  have  warned  you.  I  have  said  my  say,  and  I'll  abide 
by  it." 

These  hard  words,  showing  as  they  did  the  unalterable 
attitude  of  Mrs.  Ede's  mind,  only  tended  to  confuse  Kate ; 
all  her  doubts  returned  to  her,  and  she  remained  irres- 
olute. Miss  Hender  watched  a  moment  with  an  expres- 
sion of  contempt  on  her  coarse  face,  and  then  returned 


A  Mummer's  Wife  31 

to  her  sewing.  As  slie  did  so  Kate  moved  towards  the  door. 
She  waited  on  the  threshold,  but  seeing  that  her  mother- 
in-law  had  turned  her  back,  her  courage  returned  to  her  and 
she  went  down  stairs.  She  felt  a  little  nervous;  she  gen- 
erally did  when  anything  was  going  to  happen,  and  when 
she  caught  sight  of  Mr.  Lennox  she  shrank  back  frightened. 
He  was  a  man  of  about  thirty  years  of  age.  His  face  was 
bronzed,  and  had  it  not  been  for  his  clear  blue  eyes  he 
might  have  passed  for  an  Italian. 

Leaning  his  large  body  against  the  counter,  he  examined 
a  tray  of  ornaments  in  black  jet.  She  thought  he  was 
handsome.  He  wore  a  large  soft  hat,  which  was  very  po- 
litely lifted  from  his  head  when  she  entered.  The  attention 
embarrassed  her,  and  somewhat  awkwardly  she  interrupted 
him  in  his  explanations  of  how  he  had  been  recommended 
to  her  house,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to  see  the 
rooms.  The  suddenness  of  the  question  seemed  to  surprise 
him,  and  after  replying  to  it  affirmatively,  he  talked  of  their 
mutual  acquaintance,  the  agent  in  advance,  and  of  the 
difficulty  of  getting  lodgings  in  the  town.  As  he  spoke  he 
stared  at  her — and  he  appeared  interested  in  the  shop. 

It  was  a  very  tiny  corner,  and,  like  a  Samson,  Mr.  Len- 
nox looked  as  if  he  would  have  only  to  extend  his  arms  to 
pull  the  whole  place  down  upon  his  shoulders.  From  the 
front  window  round  to  the  kitchen  door  ran  a  mahogany 
counter ;  behind  it,  built  up  to  the  ceiling,  there  were  lines 
of  cardboard  boxes,  the  lower  rows  of  which  were  broken 
and  dust}^  Spread  out  upon  wires  lay  several  coarse  shirts 
and  a  couple  of  pair  of  stays  in  pink  and  blue.  At  the  far 
end  of  the  counter  stood  a  looking-glass,  shaded  and  shel- 
tered under  several  shawls  which  dangled  above  it.  The 
windows  were  filled  with  babies'  frocks,  hoods,  and  many 
pairs  of  little  woollen  shoes. 

After  a  few  remarks  from  Mr.  Lennox  the  conversation 
came  to  a  pause,  and  Kate  asked  him  again  if  he  would 
like  to  see  the  rooms.  He  declared  he  would  be  delighted. 
She  lifted  the  flap  and  let  him  pass  into  the  house.  On  the 
right  of  the  kitchen  door  there  was  a  small  passage,  at  the 
end  of  it  the  staircase  began.    The  first  few  steps  turned  spi- 


32  A  Mummer's  Wife 

rally,  but  after  that  it  ascended  like  a  huge  canister  or  bur- 
row to  the  first  landing. 

There,  to  her  annoyance,  Kate  found  Miss  Hender  peep- 
ing and  Mrs.  Ede  gazing  scornfully  from  behind  the  door 
of  the  workroom.  But  Mr.  Lennox  did  not  seem  to  notice 
them,  and  continued  to  talk  affably  of  the  difficulty  of  find- 
ing lodgings  in  the  town. 

Even  the  shabl)y  gentility  of  the  room,  which  his  pres- 
ence made  her  realize  more  vividly  than  ever,  did  not 
appear  to  strike  him.  He  examined  with  interest  the  patch- 
work cloth  that  covered  the  round  table,  looked  compla- 
cently at  the  little  green  sofa  with  the  two  chairs  to  match. 
and  said  that  he  thought  he  would  be  very  comfortable. 
But  when  Kate  noticed  how  dusty  was  the  pale  yellow 
wall-paper,  with  its  watery  roses,  she  could  not  help  but 
feeling  ashamed,  and  she  wondered  how  so  fine  a  gentleman 
as  he  could  be  so  easily  satisfied.  Then,  plucking  up  cour- 
age, she  showed  him  the  little  mahogany  chelfonier  which 
stood  next  the  door,  and  explained  that  it  was  there  she 
would  keep  whatever  he  miglit  order.  The  chimney-piece 
was  ornamented  with  a  small  looking-glass  engarlanded 
with  green  paper  cut  into  fringes.  Mr.  Lennox  walked 
nearer,  twirled  his  fair  moustache  with  both  hands  and 
admired  his  whiter  teeth. 

The  inspection  of  the  drawing-room  being  over,  they 
went  up  the  second  portion  of  the  canister-like  staircase, 
and  after  a  turn  and  a  stoop  arrived  at  the  bed-room.  Mr. 
Lennox  thought  the  two  steps  a  curious  arrangement.  Kate 
feared  her  husband  would  call  for  her,  and  she  was  shocked 
at  the  appearance  of  the  room :  everything  was  in  disorder, 
and  the  bed  was  just  as  she  had  left  it. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  you  should  see  the  room  like  this,  but  I 
was  obliged  to  sleep  here  last  night;  my  husband — " 

"  I  assure  you  I  take  no  objection  to  the  fact  of  your 
having  slept  here,"  he  replied  gallantly. 

Kate  blushed  violently,  and  an  awkward  silence  followed. 

As  Mr.  Lennox  looked  round  an  expression  of  dissatis- 
faction passed  over  his  face.  It  was  a  much  poorer  place 
than  the  drawing-room.  Eeligion  and  poverty  went  there 
hand-in-hand.     A  rickety  iron  bedstead  covered  with  an- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  83 

other  patchwork  quilt  occupied  the  centre  of  the  room,  and 
there  was  a  small  chest  of  drawers  in  white  wood  placed 
next  the  fireplace — the  smallest  and  narrowest  in  the  world. 
Upon  the  black  painted  chimney-piece  a  large  red  apple 
made  a  spot  of  color.  The  vulgarity  of  the  blue  flower 
vases  hurt  the  eye.  The  carpet  was  in  rags,  and  the  lace 
blinds  were  torn  and  hung  like  fish-nets.  Mr.  Lennox 
apparently  was  not  satisfied,  but  when  his  eyes  fell  upon 
Kate  it  was  clear  that  he  thought  that  so  pretty  a  woman 
might  prove  a  compensation.  But  the  pious  exhortations 
hung  on  the  walls  seemed  to  cause  him  a  certain  uneasiness. 
Above  the  washstand  there  were  two  cards  bearing  the  in- 
scriptions, "  Thou  art  my  hope,"  "  Thou  art  my  will ;"  and 
these  declarations  of  faith  were  written  within  a  painted 
garland  of  lilies  and  roses. 

"  I  see  that  you  are  religious." 

"  I  am  afraid  not  so  much  as  I  should  be,  sir." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  so  much  about  that ;  the  place  is 
covered  with  pictures — I  mean  holy  pictures." 

"  Those  were  put  there  by  my  mother-in-law :  she  is  Yery 
good." 

"  Oh,  ah,"  said  Mr.  Lennox,  apparently  much  relieved  by 
the  explanation.  "  Old  people  are  very  pious,  generally, 
aren't  they  ?  But  this  patchwork  quilt  is  yours,  I  suppose?  ^' 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  made  it  myself,"  said  Kate  blushing. 

He  had  made  several  attempts  to  talk  to  her  of  general 
things,  but  she  had  answered  him  in  briefest  phrases. 
Her  whole  mind  was  occupied  by  one  idea,  and  she  could 
not  detach  her  thoughts  from  it.  "  Is  he  going  to  take  the 
rooms,  I  wonder  ? "  she  asked  herself  many  times.  At 
last  he  said — 

"  I  like  these  apartments  very  well ;  and  you  say  that  I 
can  have  breakfast  here  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  can  have  anything  you  order,  sir.  I,  or  my 
mother,  will — " 

"  Very  well,  then ;  we  may  consider  the  matter  decided. 
I'll  tell  them  to  send  down  my  things  from  the  theatre." 

This  seemed  to  conclude  the  affair,  and  they  went  down- 
stairs. But  Mr.  Lennox  stopped  on  the  next  landing,  and 
without  any  apparent  object  re-examined  the  drawing-room. 
3 


34  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Speaking  like  a  man  who  wanted  to  get  up  a  conversation, 
he  manifested  interest  in  everything,  and  asked  questions 
concerning  the  rattle  of  the  sewing-machine,  which  could 
be  heard  distinctly;  and  before  she  could  stop  him  he  had 
opened  the  door  of  the  workroom.  He  wondered  at  all  the 
brown  paper  patterns  that  were  hung  on  the  walls,  and  Miss 
Hender,  too  eager  to  inform  him,  profited  by  the  occasion 
to  glide  in  a  word  to  the  effect  that  she  was  going  to  see 
him  that  evening  at  the  theatre.  Kate  was  amused,  but 
felt  it  was  her  duty  to  take  the  first  opportunity  of  inter- 
rupting the  conversation.  For  some  unexplained  reason 
Mr.  Lennox  seemed  loath  to  go,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
he  was  got  downstairs.  Even  then  he  could  not  pass  the 
kitchen  door  without  stopping  to  speak  to  the  apprentices. 
He  asked  them  where  they  had  found  their  brown  hair 
and  eyes,  and  attempted  to  exchange  a  remark  with  Mrs. 
Ede.  Kate  thought  the  encounter  unfortunate,  but  it  passed 
off  better  than  she  expected.  Mrs.  Ede  replied  that  the 
little  girls  were  getting  on  very  well,  and,  apparently  satis- 
fied with  this  answer,  Mr.  Lennox  turned  to  go.  His  man- 
ner indicated  his  Bohemian  habits,  for  after  all  this  waste 
of  time  he  suddenly  remembered  that  he  had  an  appoint- 
ment, and  would  probably  miss  it  by  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour. 

"  Will  you  require  any  dinner  ? ''  asked  Kate,  following 
him  to  the  door. 

At  the  mention  of  the  word  dinner  he  again  appeared  to 
forget  all  about  his  appointment.  His  face  changed  its  ex- 
pression, and  his  manner  again  grew  confidentiaL  He 
asked  all  kind  of  questions  as  to  what  she  could  get  him  to 
eat,  but  without  ever  quite  deciding  whether  he  would  be 
able  to  find  time  to  eat  it.  Kate  thought  she  had  never 
seen  such  a  man.    At  last  in  a  fit  of  desperation,  he  said — 

"  I'll  have  a  bit  of  cold  steak.  I  haven't  the  time  to 
dine;  but  if  you'll  put  that  out  for  me.  ...  I  like  a 
bit  of  supper  after  the  theatre — " 

Kate  wished  to  ask  him  what  he  would  like  to  drink 
with  it,  but  it  was  impossible  to  get  an  answer.  He  couldn't 
stop  another  minute,  and,  dodging  the  passers-by,  he  rushed 
rapidly    down    the    street.      She    watched   until    the   big 


A  Mummer's  Wife  35 

shoulders  were  lost  in  the  crowd,  and  asked  herself  if  she 
liked  the  man  who  had  just  left  her ;  but  the  answer  slipped 
from  her  when  she  tried  to  define  it,  and  with  a  sigh  she 
turned  into  the  shop  and  mechanically  set  straight  those 
shirts  that  hung  aslant  on  the  traversing  wires.  At  that 
moment  IVfrs.  Ede  came  from  the  kitchen  carrying  a  basin 
of  soup  to  her  sick  son.  She  wanted  to  know  why  Kate  had 
stayed  so  long  talking  to  that  man. 

"  Talk  to  him !  I  suppose  if  we  are  going  to  take  his 
money  it  is  only  right  that  we  should  try  to  make  him  com- 
fortable." 

"  A  miserable  ten  shillings  a  week,  when  by  it  we  are  har- 
boring wickedness  and  sin.  I  have  been  taught  that  no 
good  can  come  of  the  knowledge  of  such  people,  and  I  abide 
by  what  I  have  been  taught." 

With  this  the  old  woman  went  upstairs,  backbone  and 
principles  equally  rigid,  leaving  Kate  to  fume  at  what  she 
termed  her  mother-in-law's  unreasonableness. 

But  Kate  had  not  time  to  indulge  in  many  angry 
thoughts;  for  before  she  had  been  gone  a  moment  the 
gaunt,  spare  woman  came  back  with  tears  in  her  eyes  to  beg 
pardon.  The  only  thing  she  could  not  do  was  to  restrain 
her  tongue,  and  her  greatest  sorrows  were  the  remem- 
brances of  the  hard  words  she  had  said  to  "  dear  Kate." 
Kate  on  her  side  did  not  return  the  affection  she  accepted 
so  warmly  as  it  was  given.  She  liked  the  old  woman  well 
enough ;  she  took  her  scoldings  in  good  part ;  but  now  she 
felt  a  little  cross  with  her  mother-in-law,  and  turned  away 
pettishly,  when  Mrs.  Ede  said — 

"  I  am  so  sorry.  Did  I  speak  crossly,  dear  ?  I'll  say  no 
more  about  the  actor,  I'll  promise." 

Kate  knew  how  deeply  she  was  loved,  and  it  was  the 
vague  belief  that  she  might  rule  absolutely  if  she  chose  to 
take  up  her  position,  that  induced  her  to  acquiesce  as  calmly 
as  she  usually  did  in  her  mother-in-law's  dictation.  Some- 
times she  felt  desirous  of  assuring  herself  of  the  value  of 
her  unasserted  power.  The  present  instance  was  a  case 
in  point. 

"I  don't  see  why  I  should  be  bullied  in  my  own  house," 


36  A  Mummer's  Wife 

she  said.  "  Why  shouldn't  I  let  my  rooms  to  Mr.  Lennox 
if  I  like  ?  " 

"  You  are  right/'  said  Mrs.  Ede,  "  I  have  perhaps  said 
too  much  but  I  am  sorry  you  turn  against  me." 

The  tone  of  suffering  the  words  conveyed  touched  Kate 
to  the  heart,  and  she  answered  warmly — 

"  ISTo,  no,  mother ;  I  don't  turn  against  you.  You  are 
the  only  person  I  have  to  love." 

A  look  of  quick  pleasure  passed  over  the  hard,  blunt 
features  of  the  peasant  woman,  and  she  said  with  tears  in 
her  voice — 

"  You  know  I'm  a  bit  hard  with  my  tongue,  hut  that's 
all ;  I  don't  mean  it." 

ISTothing  more  v/as  said,  and  on  the  front  landing  they 
separated.  Kate  went  into  her  workroom.  Miss  Hender, 
already  returned  from  dinner,  was  trembling  with  excite- 
ment, and  she  waited  impatiently  for  the  door  to  be  shut 
that  she  might  talk.  She  had  been  round  to  see  her  friend 
the  stage  carpenter,  and  he  had  told  her  all  about  the  actor. 
Mr.  Lennox  was,  on  this  authority,  the  boss  of  the  show. 
Mr.  Hayes,  the  acting  manager,  was  a  nobody,  who  was  gen- 
erally pretty  well  boozed,  and  Mr.  Cox,  the  London  gent, 
did  not  travel.  Miss  Hender's  lover  had  also  professed  a 
very  high  opinion  of  Mr.  Lennox.  He  had  heard  of  him 
before,  and  had  expected  a  fellow  up  to  snuff;  but  from 
what  he  had  seen  of  him  that  morning  he  didn't  mind  say- 
ing that  he  had  the  whole  bag  of  tricks  at  his  fingers'  ends. 

Kate  listened  bewildered,  not  understanding  half  of  what 
was  said.  The  superior  knowledge  Miss  Hender  displayed 
of  theatrical  slang  and  back-door  doings  alarmed  her.  A 
reproof  rose  to  her  lips,  but  she  checked  it  in  her  eagerness 
to  learn  more  about  Mr.  Lennox. 

"  And  what  part  does  he  play  in  the  Madame  Angot,  I 
think  you  call  it  ?  "  she  asked  as  she  bent  her  head  to  ex- 
amine the  passementerie  she  was  stitching  on  to  the  sleeves. 

"  Oh,  the  low  comedy  part,"  said  Miss  Hender ;  but  see- 
ing that  Kate  did  not  understand,  she  hastened  to  explain 
that  the  low  comedy  parts  meant  the  funny  parts. 

"  He's  the  man  who's  lost  his  wig — La — La  Eavodee,  I 
think  they  call  it — and  a  very  nice  man  he  is.    When  I  was 


A  Mummer's  Wife  37 

talking  to  Bill  I  could  see  Mr.  Lennox  between  the  wings ; 
he  had  his  arm  round  Miss  Leslie's  shoulder.  I'm  sure  he's 
sweet  on  her." 

Kate  looked  up  from  her  work  and  stared  at  Miss  Hender 
slowly.  The  announcement  that  Mr.  Lennox  was  the  funny- 
man was  disappointing,  but  to  hear  that  he  was  a  woman's 
lover  disgusted  her  at  once  with  him,  and  she  could  not  help 
saying — 

"All  those  actors  are  alike.  I  see  now  that  my  mother- 
in-law  was  right.     I  should  not  have  let  him  my  rooms." 

"  One's  always  afraid  of  saying  anything  to  you,  ma'am ; 
you  do  twist  one's  words  so.  I  am  svire  I  did  not  mean  to 
say  there  was  any  harm  between  him  and  Miss  Leslie. 
There,  perhaps  you'll  go  and  tell  him  that  I  spoke  about 
him." 

"  I'm  sure  I  shall  do  nothing  of  the  sort.  Mr.  Lennox 
has  taken  my  rooms,  for  a  week,  and  there's  an  end  of  it. 
I  am  not  going  to  interfere  in  his  private  afEairs." 

The  conversation  then  came  to  a  pause,  and  all  that  was 
heard  for  a  long  time  was  the  clicking  of  the  needle  and  the 
rustling  of  silk.  Kate  wondered  how  it  was  that  Mr.  Len- 
nox was  so  different  off  the  stage  from  what  he  was  on, 
and  it  seemed  to  her  strange  that  such  a  nice  gentleman — 
for  she  was  obliged  to  admit  that  he  was  that — should 
choose  to  play  the  funny  parts.  As  for  his  connection  with 
Miss  Leslie,  that  of  course  was  none  of  her  biisiness.  What 
did  it  matter  to  her  whom  he  was  in  love  with  ?  She  would 
have  thought  he  was  a  man  who  would  not  easily  fall  in 
love ;  but  perhaps  Miss  Leslie  was  very  pretty,  and,  for  the 
matter  of  that,  they  might  be  going  to  l)e  married.  Miss 
Hender,  in  the  meanwhile,  regretted  having  told  Kate  any- 
thing about  Mr.  Lennox.  The  best  and  surest  way  was  to 
let  people  find  out  things  for  themselves.  Having  an  in- 
stinctive repugnance  to  virtue — at  least,  to  questions  of 
conscience — she  could  not  abide  whining  about  spilt  milk, 
and,  beyond  an  occasional  reference  to  their  work,  the 
women  did  not  speak  again,  until  at  three  o'clock  Mrs.  Ede 
announced  that  dinner  was  ready.  There  was,  however, 
not  much  to  eat,  and  Kate  had  little  appetite,  and  she  was 
glad  when  the  meal  was  finished.     She  had  then  to  help 


38  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Mrs.  Ede  in  getting  the  rooms  ready,  and  when  this  was 
done  it  was  time  for  tea.  But  not  even  this  meal  did  they 
get  in  comfort.  Suddenly  it  was  remembered  that  Mr. 
Lennox  had  ordered  a  beefsteak  for  supper.  Mrs.  Ede, 
however,  said  she  would  see  to  this,  and  Kate  went  into  the 
shop  to  attend  to  the  few  customers  who  might  call  in  the 
course  of  the  evening.  The  next  event  was  the  departure 
of  Miss  Hender,  who  came  downstairs  in  a  violent  hurry, 
saying  she  had  only  just  allowed  herself  time  to  dress  and 
to  get  to  the  theatre  before  the  curtain  went  up.  She  was 
very  sorry  Kate  was  not  coming,  but  she  promised  to  tell 
her  to-morrow  all  about  Mr.  Lennox,  and  how  the  piece 
went.  As  Kate  bade  her  assistant  good  night  a  few  cus- 
tomers dropped  in,  all  of  whom  gave  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
She  had  to  pull  down  an  immense  numljer  of  packages  to 
find  what  was  wanted,  and  these  had  to  be  tied  up  and  put 
back  in  their  places.  Then  her  next,  door  neighbor,  the 
stationer's  wife,  called  to  ask  after  Mr.  Ede  and  to  buy  a 
reel  of  cotton;  and  so,  in  evening  chat,  the  time  passed, 
until  the  fruiterer's  boy  came  to  ask  if  he  should  put  up  the 
shutters. 

Kate  answered  affirmatively,  and  remarked  to  her  friend, 
who  had  risen  to  go,  what  a  nice,  kind  man  Mr.  Jones  was. 

"  When  Mr.  Ede  is  ill  I  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  ask, 
and  he  sends  his  boy  morning  and  night  to  take  down  and 
put  up  my  shutters." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  they  are  very  kind  people,  but  their  prices 
are  very  high.    Do  you  deal  with  them  ?  " 

Kate  replied  that  she  did ;  and,  as  the  fruiterer's  boy  put 
up  the  shutters  with  a  series  of  bangs,  she  strove  to  decide 
her  neighbor  to  buy  a  certain  gown  she  had  been  long 
talking  of. 

"  Trimming  and  everything,  it  won't  cost  you  more  than 
thirty  shillings ;  you'll  want  something  fresh  now  that  sum- 
mer's coming  on." 

"  So  I  shall.  I'll  speak  to  my  man  about  it  to-night.  I 
think  he'll  let  me  have  it." 

"  He  won't  refuse  you  if  you  press  him." 

"  Well,  we  shall  see." 

On  this  a  last  good-bye  was  said,  and  the  stationer's  wife 


A  Mummer's  Wife  39 

slipped  away.  The  shops  were  now  closing.  The  streets 
were  filled  with  dark  masses  of  people  who  passed  in  surg- 
ing confusion  towards  Piccadilly.  The  evening  was  fine. 
Streaks  of  purple  and  touches  of  yellow  were  dying  out  of 
the  west,  and  the  wide  gray  slopes  of  the  hills  rendered 
insignificant  and  toylike  the  unending  brick  angles  of  the 
town.  Brick !  It  was  a  sea  of  brick — brick  of  all  colors : 
the  pale  brown  of  the  decaying  yards,  the  implacable  red 
brick  that  turns  to  purple  of  the  newly  built  warehouses, 
whilst  overhead  an  uninterrupted  succession  of  scarlet-tiled 
roofs  pointed  their  sharp  backs  to  the  light  of  a  few  wan 
stars. 

Kate  stood  for  a  long  time  looking  at  the  hills  that  faded 
into  the  night-clouds,  and  against  the  huge  gray  back- 
ground the  bright  small  flames  of  gas-jets  started  and  re- 
mained before  her  like  golden  nails  upon  the  face  of  a 
door. 

Her  thoughts  drifted  vaguely.  She  thought  of  what  she 
had  thought  of  a  hundred  times  before.  The  same  ideas 
turned  in  her  brain  monotonously,  as  the  hands  of  a  clock 
round  the  dial.  She  wondered  if  her  lodger  would  be  satis- 
fied with  her  mother-in-law's  cooking.  She  hoped  so.  He 
was  a  very  nice  man,  and  it  would  be  tiresome  if  they  did 
not  pull  together.  Then  as  his  image  floated  from  her 
Kate  feared  seriously  for  Miss  Hender's  virtue.  If  Mrs. 
Ede  knew  of  her  conduct  there  was  not  a  doubt  but  she 
would  not  allow  her  in  the  house.  The  difficulty  she  was  in 
with  Mrs.  Barnes's  dress  next  suggested  itself,  and  with  a 
shiver  and  a  sigh  she  shut  the  street  door  and  went  upstairs. 
The  day  had  passed ;  it  was  gone  like  a  hundred  days  before 
it — wearily,  perhaps,  yet  leaving  in  the  mind  an  impression 
of  something  done,  of  duties  honestly  accomplished. 


CHAPTER    III 


|H,  ma'am !  "  broke  in  Miss  Hender,  "  you  can't 
think  how  amusing  it  was  last  night.  I  never 
enjoyed  myself  so  much  in  my  life.  The  place  was 
crammed.  You  never  saw  such  a  house,  and  Miss 
Leslie  got  three  encores,  and  a  call  after  each  act." 

"  And  what  was  Mr.  Lennox  like  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  only  played  a  small  part — one  of  the  policemen. 
He  don't  play  Pom-poucet ;  I  was  wrong.  It  is  too  heavy 
a  part,  and  he's  too  busy  looking  after  the  piece.  But  Joe 
Mortimer  was  splendid :  I  nearly  died  of  laughing  when  he 
fell  down,  and  lost  his  wig  in  the  middle  of  the  stage.  And 
Frank  Bret  looked  so  nice,  and  he  got  an  encore  for  his 
song,  '  Oh,  certainly  I  love  Clairette.'  And  he  and  Miss 
Leslie  got  another  for  the  duet.  To-morrow  they  play  the 
Cloches." 

"  But  now  you've  seen  so  much  of  the  theatre,  I  hope 
you'll  be  able  to  do  a  little  overtime  with  me.  I  have 
promised  to  let  Mrs.  Barnes  have  her  dress  by  to-morrow 
morning." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  sha'n't  be  able  to  stay  after  six  o'clock." 

"  But  surely  if  they  are  doing  the  same  play  you  don't 
want  to  see  it  again  ?  " 

"  Well,  'tisn't  exactly  that,  but — well,  I  prefer  to  tell 
you  the  truth ;  tisn't  for  the  piece  I  go  to  the  theatre ;  I  am 
one  of  the  dressers,  and  I  get  twelve  shillings  a  week,  and  I 
can't  afford  to  lose  it.  But  there's  no  use  in  telling  that  to 
Mrs.  Ede ;  she'd  only  kick  up  a  row." 

"  How  do  you  mean,  dressing?  " 

"  The  ladies  of  the  theatre  must  have  some  one  to  dress 
them,  and  I  look  after  the  principals — Miss  Leslie  and 
Miss  Beaumont,  that's  all." 

"  And  how  long  have  you  been  doing  that  ?  " 

"  Why,  about  a  month  now.    Bill  got  me  the  place." 

This  conversation  had  broken  in  upon  a  silence  of  nearly 


A  Mummer's  Wife  41 

half  an  hour.  For  about  that  time  not  a  word  had  been 
spoken;  with  bent  heads  and  clicking  needles,  Kate  and 
Miss  Hender  had  been  working  assiduously  at  Mrs.  Barnes's 
skirt. 

Having  a  great  deal  of  passementerie  ornamentation  to 
sew  on  to  the  heading  of  the  flounces,  and  much  fringe  to 
arrange  round  the  edging  of  the  drapery,  Kate  looked  for- 
ward to  a  heavy  day.  She  had  expected  Miss  Hender  an 
hour  earlier,  and  she  had  not  turned  up  until  after  nine. 
An  assistant  whose  time  was  so  occupied  that  she  couldn't 
give  an  extra  hour  when  you  were  in  a  difficulty  was  of  very 
little  use,  and  the  sooner  her  place  was  supplied  the  better. 
Besides,  all  this  talk  about  theatres  and  actors  was  very 
wrong;  there  could  be  little  doubt  but  that  the  girl  was  los- 
ing her  character,  and  to  have  her  coming  about  the  house 
would  give  it  a  bad  name.  Such  were  Kate's  reflections  as 
she  handled  the  rustling  silk  and  folded  it  into  large  plait- 
ings.  Now  and  again  she  tried  to  come  to  a  determination, 
but  she  was  not  sincere  with  herself.  She  knew  she  liked 
the  girl,  and  would  not  find  the  courage  to  dismiss  her. 
Miss  Hender's  conversation  amused  her,  and  to  send  her 
away  meant  to  surrender  herself  completely  to  her  mother- 
in-law's  stern  kindness  and  her  husband's  irritability. 

Miss  Hender  was  the  window  through  which  Kate  viewed 
the  bustle  and  animation  of  life,  and  she  dreaded  the  dark- 
ness that  the  closing  of  it  would  bring.  Even  now,  annoyed 
as  she  was  that  she  would  not  be  able  to  get  the  dress  done 
in  time,  she  could  not  refrain  from  listening  to  the  girl's 
chatter.  There  was  about  Miss  Hender  that  dominating 
charm  which  material  natures  possess  even  when  they 
offend.  Being  of  the  flesh  we  must  sympathize  witli  it, 
and  the  amiability  of  Miss  Hender's  spirits  made  a  great 
deal  pass  that  would  have  otherwise  appeared  shocking. 
She  could  tell — without  appearing  too  rude — how  Mr. 
Wentworth,  the  lessee,  was  gone  on  a  certain  lady  in  the 
new  company,  and  would  give  her  anything  if  she  would 
chuck  up  her  engagement  and  come  and  live  with  him. 
When  Miss  Hender  told  these  stories,  Kate,  fearing  that 
Mrs.  Ede  might  have  overheard,  looked  anxiously  at  the 
door,  and  under  the  influence  of  the  emotion,  it  interested 


43  A  Mummer's  Wife 

her  to  warn  her  assistant  of  the  perils  of  frequenting  bad 
company.  But  as  Kate  lectured  she  could  not  help  wonder- 
ing how  it  was  that  her  life  passed  by  so  wearily.  Was  she 
never  going  to  do  anything  else  but  work,  she  often  asked 
herself.  How  hateful  it  was!  Then  to  repulse  these 
thoughts,  which  she  knew  were  wicked,  she  would  seek  con- 
solation in  thinking  of  her  excellent  conduct.  She  would 
often  thank  God  that  she  had  nothing  to  reproach  herself 
with,  and  it  afforded  her  a  kind  of  calm  enjoyment  to  look 
back  upon  her  tranquil  working  life. 

Her  story,  until  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Lennox,  was  un- 
marked by  any  event  of  importance,  and  its  psychological 
significance  can  be  well  and  easily  inferred  from  the  follow- 
ing statement  of  the  facts. 

Kate  had  never  known  her  father;  her  mother  was  a 
hard-working  woman,  an  earnest  believer  in  Wesley,  who 
made  a  pound  a  week  by  painting  on  china.  This  was  amply 
sufficient  for  their  wants;  so  Mrs.  Howell's  only  terrors 
were  that  she  might  not  succeed  in  saving  her  soul,  or 
might  lose  her  health,  die  before  her  time,  and  leave  her 
daughter  in  want.  To  avoid  this  calamity  she  worked 
early  and  late  at  the  factory,  and  Kate  was  left  in  the 
charge  of  the  landlady,  a  childless  old  woman  who,  sitting 
by  the  fire,  used  to  tell  stories  of  her  deceptions  and  mis- 
fortunes in  life.  The  little  girl  considered  these  hours  quite 
delicious,  and  her  childish  brain  was  thus  early  intoxicated 
with  sentiment.  It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  the  mother's 
influence  was  at  an  unfortunate  time  counteracted,  and  the 
Bible  readings  and  extemporary  prayers  offered  up  by  their 
bedside  in  the  evening  had  been  neutralized  earlier  in  the 
day.  Schooldays  came  next  in  Kate's  youth,  but  they  were 
unimportant,  and  exercised  little  influence  on  her  after 
life. 

And,  like  an  empty  dream,  eighteen  years  passed.  Kate 
grew  softly  and  mystically  as  a  dark  damask  rose  into  a 
pretty  woman,  with  a  soul  made  up  two-thirds  of  sentiment, 
and  one-third  of  superstition.  For,  notwithstanding  her 
early  training,  religion  had  never  taken  a  very  firm  hold 
upon  her.  Although  she  had  married  into  a  family  very 
similar  to  her  own,  although  her  mother-in-law  was  almost 


A  Mummer's  Wife  43 

a  counterpart  of  her  real  mother — a  little  harder  and  more 
resolute,  but  as  Godfearing  and  as  kind — Kate  had  caught 
no  blast  of  religious  fervor ;  it  had  taught  her  nothing,  in- 
spired her  with  nothing,  could  influence  her  in  little.  She 
was  not  strong  nor  great,  nor  was  she  conscious  of  any  deep 
feeling  that  if  she  acted  otherwise  than  she  did  she  would 
be  living  an  unworthy  life.  She  was  merely  good  because 
she  was  a  kind-hearted  woman,  without  bad  impulses,  and 
admirably  suited  to  the  life  she  was  leading. 

But  in  this  commonplace  inactivity  of  mind  there  was 
one  strong  characteristic,  one  bit  of  color  in  all  these  gray 
tints :  Kate  was  dreamy,  not  to  say  imaginative.  When  she 
was  a  mere  child  she  loved  fairies,  and  took  a  vivid  interest 
in  goblins ;  and  when  afterwards  she  discarded  these  stories 
for  others,  it  was  not  because  it  shocked  her  logical  sense  to 
read  of  a  beanstalk  a  hundred  feet  high,  but  for  a  tenderer 
reason.  Jack  did  not  find  a  beautiful  lady  to  love  him. 
She  could  not  help  feeling  disappointed,  and  when  the 
London  Journal  came  for  the  first  time  across  her  way, 
with  the  story  of  a  broken  heart,  her  own  heart  melted  with 
sympathy.  And  the  more  sentimental  and  unnatural  the 
romance,  the  more  it  fevered  and  enraptured  her.  She 
loved  to  read  of  singular  subterranean  combats,  of  high 
castles,  prisoners,  hair-breadth  escapes ;  and  her  sympathies 
were  always  with  the  fugitives.  It  was  also  very  delightful 
to  hear  of  lovers  who  were  true  to  each  other  in  spite  of  a 
dozen  wicked  uncles,  of  women  who  were  tempted  until 
their  hearts  died  within  them,  and  who  years  after  threw 
up  their  hands  and  said,  "  Thank  God  that  I  had  the 
courage  to  resist." 

And  the  second  period  of  her  sentimental  education  was 
when  she  passed  from  the  authors  who  deal  exclusively 
with  knights,  princesses,  and  kings,  to  those  who  interest 
themselves  in  the  love  fortunes  of  doctors  and  curates. 

Amid  these  there  was  one  story  that  interested  her  in 
particular,  that  caused  her  deeper  emotions  than  perhaps 
even  the  others  had  done.  It  concerned  a  beautiful  young 
woman  with  a  lovely  oval  face,  who  was  married  to  a  very 
tiresome  country  doctor.  This  lady  was  in  the  habit  of 
reading  Byron  and  Shelley  in  a  rich,  sweet-scented  meadow, 


44  A  Mummer's  Wife 

down  by  the  river  which  flowed  dreamily  through  smiling 
pasturelands  adorned  by  spreading  trees.  But  this  meadow 
belonged  to  a  young  squire,  a  superb  man  with  grand,  broad 
shoulders,  who  day  after  day  used  to  watch  these  readings 
by  the  river,  without,  however,  venturing  to  address  a  word 
to  the  fair  trespasser.  One  day,  however,  he  was  startled 
by  a  shriek ;  in  her  poetical  dreamings  the  lady  had  slipped 
into  the  water.  A  moment  sufficed  to  tear  off  his  coat,  and 
as  he  swam  like  a  water-dog,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  rescu- 
ing her.  After  this  adventure  he  had,  of  course,  to  call 
and  inquire,  and  from  henceforth  his  visits  grew  more  and 
more  frequent,  and  by  a  strange  coincidence,  he  used  gen- 
erally to  come  riding  up  to  the  hall-door  when  the  husband 
was  away  curing  the  ills  of  the  country  folk.  Hours  never 
to  be  forgotten  were  passed  under  the  trees  by  the  river,  he 
pleading  his  cause,  and  she  refusing  to  leave  poor  Arthur — 
he  was  too  good  a  fellow.  Heart-broken,  at  last  the  squire 
gave  up  the  pursuit,  and  went  to  foreign  parts,  where  he 
waited  thirty  years  until  he  heard  Arthur  was  dead.  Then 
he  came  back  with  a  light  heart  to  his  first  and  only  love, 
who  had  never  ceased  to  think  of  him,  and  lived  with  her 
happily  forever  afterwards.  The  grotesque  mixture  of  prose 
and  poetry,  both  equally  false,  used  to  enchant  Kate,  and 
she  always  fancied  had  she  been  the  heroine  of  the  book 
that  she  would  have  acted  in  the  same  way. 

The  taste  for  novel-reading  caused  Kate's  mother  the 
deepest  distress;  she  thought  it  "a  sinful  waste  of  time, 
not  to  speak  of  the  way  it  turned  people's  heads  from  God ;" 
and  when  one  day  she  found  Kate's  scrap-book,  made  up  of 
poems  cut  from  the  Family  Herald,  she  began  to  despair  of 
her  daughter's  salvation.  For  notwithstanding  all  her 
efforts,  she  could  not  awake  the  girl  to  this  belief,  and  the 
answer  Kate  generally  made  to  her  mother's  reproaches  was : 
"  Mother,  1  have  been  sewing  all  day ;  I  can't  see  what  harm 
it  can  be  to  read  a  little  before  I  go  to  bed.  jSTobody  is 
required  to  be  always  saying  their  prayers." 

The  next  two  years  passed  away  unperceived  by  either 
mother  or  daughter,  and  then  an  event  occurred  of  some 
importance.  Their  neighbors  at  the  corner  of  the  street 
got  into  difficulties,  and  were  eventually  sold  out  and  their 


A  Mummer's  Wife  45 

places  taken  by  strangers,  who  changed  the  oil-shop  into  a 
drapery  business.  The  now  arrivals  caused,  of  course,  the 
keenest  interest,  and  Mrs.  Howell  and  her  daughter  called 
to  see  what  they  were  like,  as  did  everybody  else.  The 
acquaintance  thus  formed  was  renewed  at  church,  where, 
much  to  their  surprise  and  pleasure,  they  discovered  that 
they  were  of  the  same  persuasion. 

Henceforth  the  Howells  and  Edes  saw  a  great  deal  of 
each  other,  and  every  Sunday  after  church  the  mothers 
walked  on  in  front,  and,  at  a  distance  of  thirty  yards,  the 
young  people  followed.  Ealph  spoke  of  his  ill-health,  and 
Kate  pitied  him,  and  when  he  complimented  her  on  her 
beautiful  hair  she  blushed  with  pleasure.  For  such  as  she 
had  revelled  in  fictitious  sentiment,  she  had  somehow  never 
thought  of  seeking  it  in  nature,  and  now  that  she  had  found 
a  lover,  the  critical  sense  was  not  strong  enough  in  her  to 
lead  her  to  compare  reality  with  imagination,  and  she 
accepted  Ealph  as  unsuspectingly  as  she  had  before  accepted 
the  tawdry  poetry  of  her  favorite  fiction.  Her  nature  not 
being  a  passionate  one,  she  was  able  to  do  this  without  any 
apparent  transition  of  sentiment.  She  pitied  him,  hoped 
she  could  be  of  use  in  nursing  him,  and  then  felt  flattered 
at  the  idea  of  being  mistress  of  a  shop. 

The  mothers,  whose  thoughts  had  been  travelling  for 
some  time  in  the  same  direction,  were  delighted.  No  mar- 
riage could  in  their  eyes  be  more  desirable.  Religious 
opinions  coincided,  and  dressmaking  was  a  suitable  ad- 
junct to  the  drapery  business.  Kate  brought  the  talent, 
Ealph  the  means  of  putting  it  into  execution,  and  very 
soon  after  she  was  installed  in  her  own  workroom.  Of 
love  small  mention  was  made.  The  bridegroom  spoke  of 
his  prospects,  of  improving  the  business,  the  bride  listened, 
interested  for  the  while  in  his  enthusiasm ;  orders  came  in, 
and  Kate  was  soon  transformed  into  a  hard-working- 
woman. 

With  marriage  her  reading  ceased,  and  the  scrap-book 
was  left  to  sleep  at  the  bottom  of  an  old  trunk.  This 
change  of  character  passed  unperceived  by  all  but  Mrs. 
Howell,  who  died  wondering  how  it  had  come  about.  Kate 
herself  did  not  know,  and  she  fancied  that  it  was  fully  ac- 


46  A  Mummer's  Wife 

counted  for  by  the  fact  that  she  had  no  time, — "  no  time 
for  reading  now." 

This  was  no  more  than  the  truth;  but  she  did  not  com- 
plain ;  she  accepted  her  husband's  kisses  as  she  did  the  toil 
he  imposed  on  her — meekly,  unaffectedly,  as  a  matter  of 
course.  Apparently  she  had  known  all  through  that  the 
romances  which  used  so  strongly  to  fascinate  her  were 
merely  idle  dreams,  having  no  bearing  upon  the  daily  life 
of  human  beings — things  fit  to  amuse  a  young  girl's  fancies, 
and  to  be  thrown  aside  when  the  real  cares  of  life  were 
entered  upon.  The  only  analogy  between  the  past  and 
present  was  an  ample  submission  to  authority  and  an  indif- 
ference to  the  world  and  its  interest.  Even  the  fact  of 
being  without  children  did  not  seem  to  concern  her,  and 
when  her  mother-in-law  regretted  it  she  merely  smiled 
languidly,  or  said,  "  We  are  very  well  as  we  are." 

Of  the  world  and  the  flesh  she  lived  in  ignorance,  sus- 
pecting their  existence  only  through  Miss  Hender.  For 
some  months  past  a  friendship  had  been  steadily  growing 
up  between  the  two  women.  Miss  Hender  was  attracted 
by  her  employer's  kindness  and  softness  of  manner,  Kate 
by  her  assistant's  strength  of  will.  Had  she  known  for  cer- 
tain of  the  existence  of  a  lover  she  would  not  have  kept  her, 
but  the  possibility  of  sin  attached  her  to  the  girl  in  the 
sense  that  it  forced  her  continually  to  think  of  her.  And 
then  there  was  a  certain  air  of  bravado  in  Miss  Hender's 
freckled  face  that  Kate  unconsciously  admired.  She  in- 
stituted comparisons  between  herself  and  the  assistant, 
and  she  generally  came  to  the  conclusion  that  she  preferred 
that  fair,  blooming,  blonde  complexion  to  her  own  clear 
olive-colored  skin,  and  the  sparkle  of  the  red  frizzy  hair 
disgusted  her  with  the  thick  wavy  blue  tresses  which  en- 
circled, as  would  a  piece  of  black  velvet,  her  small  temples. 

As  she  continued  her  sewing  she  reconsidered  the  ques- 
tion of  Miss  Hender's  dismissal,  but  only  to  perceive  more 
and  more  clearly  the  blank  it  would  occasion  in  her  life. 
But  besides  her  personal  feeling  there  was  the  important 
fact  to  consider,  that  to  satisfy  her  customers  she  must 
have  an  assistant  who  could  be  depended  upon.  And  she 
did  not  know  where  she  would  find  another  who  would 


A  Mummer's  Wife  47 

turn  out  work  equal  to  Miss  Hender's.  At  last  Kate 
said : — 

"  I  don't  know  what  1  shall  do ;  I  promised  the  dress  by 
to-morrow  morning." 

"  I  think  we'll  be  able  to  finish  it  to-day,"  said  Miss 
Ilender ;  "  I'll  work  hard  at  it  all  the  afternoon ;  a  lot  can 
be  done  between  this  and  seven  o'clock." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Kate  dolefully ;  "  these 
leaves  take  such  a  time  to  sew  on ;  and  then  there's  all  the 
festooning." 

"  I  think  it  can  be  managed,  but  we  must  stick  at  it." 

On  this  expression  of  good  will  the  conversation  ceased 
for  the  time  being,  and  the  clicking  of  needles  and  the 
buzzing  of  flies  about  the  brown-paper  patterns  was  all 
that  was  heard  until,  about  twelve  o'clock,  Mrs.  Ede  burst 
into  the  room. 

"  I  knew  what  it  would  be,"  she  said,  shutting  the  door 
after  her. 

"  What  is  it  said  Kate,  looking  up  frightened. 

"  Well,  I  offered  to  do  him  a  chop  or  some  fried  eggs, 
but  he  says  he  must  have  an  omelette.  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  such  a  thing?  I  told  him  I  didn't  know  how  to  make 
one,  but  he  said  that  I  was  to  ask  you  if  you  could  spare 
the  time." 

"  I'll  make  him  an  omelette,"  said  Kate  rising.  "  Have 
you  got  the  eggs  ?  " 

"  Yes.  The  trouble  that  man  gives  us !  What  with  his 
bath  in  the  morning,  and  two  pairs  of  boots  to  be  cleaned, 
and  the  clothes  that  have  to  be  brushed,  I  have  done  noth- 
ing but  attend  to  him  since  ten  o'clock;  and  what  hours 
to  keep ! — it  is  now  past  eleven." 

"  What's  the  use  of  grumbling  ?  You  know  that  the 
work  must  be  done,  and  I  can't  be  in  two  places  at  once. 
You  promised  me  you  wouldn't  say  anything  more  about  it, 
but  would  attend  to  him  just  the  same  as  any  other  lodger." 

"  I  can't  do  more  than  I  am  doing;  I  haven't  done  any- 
thing all  the  morning  but  run  upstairs,"  said  Mrs.  Ede 
very  crossly ;  "  and  I  wish  you'd  take  the  little  girls  out  of 
the  kitchen,  I  can't  look  after  them,  and  they  do  nothing 
but  look  out  of  the  window." 


48  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"Very  well,  I'll  have  them  up  here;  they  cau  sit  on  the 
sofa.  We  can  mange  with  them  now  that  we  have  finished 
the  cutting  out." 

Miss  Hender  made  no  reply  to  this  last  speech,  which 
was  addressed  to  her.  There  was  nothing  she  hated  so 
much  as  having  the  little  girls  up  in  the  workroom. 

To  make  Mr.  Lennox's  omelette  did  not  take  Kate  a  long 
while.  There  was  a  bright  fire  in  the  kitchen,  the  muffins 
were  toasted,  and  the  tea  was  made. 

"  This  is  a  very  small  breakfast,"  she  said  as  she  put  the 
plates  and  dishes  on  the  tray.  "  Didn't  he  order  anything 
else?" 

"  He  spoke  about  some  fried  bacon,  but  I'll  attend  to 
that ;  you  take  the  other  things  up  to  him." 

As  Kate  passed  with  the  tray  in  her  hand  she  reproved 
the  little  girls  for  their  idleness  and  told  them  to  come  up- 
stairs, but  it  was  not  until  she  motioned  them  into  the 
workroom  that  she  realized  that  she  was  going  into  Mr. 
Lennox's  room.  After  a  slight  pause  she  turned  the  handle 
of  the  door  and  entered. 

Mr.  Lennox  was  lying  very  negligently  wrapped  in  his 
dressing-gown. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  I  didn't  know — "  she  said, 
starting  back. 

Then,  blushing  violently  for  shame  at  her  own  silliness 
in  taking  notice  of  such  things,  slie  laid  tlie  breakfast  things 
on  the  table.  He,  however,  did  not  seem  the  least  put  out  by 
her  discomfiture;  but  wrapping  himself  up  more  closely, 
drew  his  chair  forward,  and  smacked  his  lips.  As  he  did 
so  he  said — 

"  I  hope  I  haven't  shocked  you,  but  I  didn't  know  you 
were  coming  in,  and  I  always  like  to  sit  an  hour  or  two 
in  my  dressing-gown  before  dressing." 

"  Oh,  it  doesn't  matter,''  she  vsaid,  hating  him  for  the  mo- 
ment for  forcing  her  to  allude  to  the  subject  again.  "  I 
hope  you'll  like  your  omelette,  sir." 

"  Oh,  very  nice  indeed,"  he  replied,  taking  the  cover  off 
the  dish,  "  but  I  am  afraid  I  have  given  you  a  great  deal 
of  trouble ;  that  old  lady  told  me  you  were  very,  very  busy." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  49 

1  have  to  finish  a  dress  to-day,  sir,  and  my  assist- 


ant- 
Here  Kate  stopped,  remembering  that  as  Mr.  Lennox 
had  probably  renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Miss  Hender 
at  the  theatre,  any  allusion  to  her  would  give  rise  to  further 
conversation, — and  she  now  thought  only  of  escaping  from 
the  room. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  know  Miss  Hender ;  she's  one  of  our  dressers ; 
she  looks  after  our  two  leading  ladies,  Miss  Leslie  and 
Miss  Beaumont.    But  I  don't  see  the  bacon  here." 

"  Mrs.  Ede  is  cooking  it ;  she'll  bring  it  up  in  a  minute 
or  two."  said  Kate,  edging  towards  the  door. 

"We  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  dressers,"  said  Mr. 
Lennox,  speaking  rapidly,  so  as  to  detain  his  landlady; 
"  but  if  you  are  as  pressed  with  your  work  as  you  tell  me, 
I  daresay,  by  speaking  to  the  lessee,  I  might  manage  to  get 
Miss  Hender  off  for  this  one  evening." 

"  Thank  you,  sir;  I  am  sure  it  is  very  kind  of  you,  but 
I  shall  be  able  to  manage  without  that." 

]\Ir.  Lennox  spoke  with  such  an  ol)vious  desire  to  oblige 
that  Kate  could  not  choose  but  like  him,  and  it  made  her 
wish  all  the  more  Ihat  he  would  cover  up  his  big,  bare  neck. 

"  'Pon  my  word  this  is  a  capital  omelette,"  he  said,  as  he 
greedily  devoured  the  yellow  substance.  "  There  is  nothing 
I  like  so  much  as  a  good  omelette.  I  was  very  lucky  to 
come  here,"  he  added,  glancing  at  Kate's  waist,  which  was 
slim  even  in  her  old  blue  striped  dress. 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  say  so,  sir,"  she  said,  and  a 
glow  of  rose-color  fl^ushed  the  dark  complexion.  There 
was  something  very  human  in  this  big  man,  and  Kate  did 
not  know  whether  his  animalism  irritated  or  pleased  her. 

"  You  were  not  at  the  thearte  last  night  ?  "  he  said,  forc- 
ing a  huge  piece  of  deeply-buttered  spongy  French  roll  into 
his  mouth. 

"  No,  sir,  I  wasn't  there ;  I  rarely  go  to  the  theatre." 

"  Ah,  I'm  sorry.  How's  that  ?  We  had  a  tremendous 
house.  I  never  saw  the  piece  go  better.  If  this  business 
keeps  up  to  the  end  of  the  week  I  think  we  shall  try  to  get 
another  date." 


50  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Kate  did  not  know  what  "  another  date  "  meant,  but  she 
resolved  to  ask  Miss  Hender. 

"  You  have  only  to  tell  nie  when  you  want  to  see  the 
piece,  and  I'll  give  you  places.  Would  you  like  to  come  to- 
night ?  " 

"  Not  to-night,  thank  you,  sir.  I  shall  be  busy  all  the 
evening,  and  my  husband  is  not  very  well." 

The  conversation  then  came  to  a  pause.  Mr.  Lennox 
scraped  up  the  last  fragments  of  the  omelette,  and  had  just 
poured  himself  out  another  cup  of  tea,  when  Mrs.  Ede 
appeared  with  the  broiled  bacon.  At  once,  on  seeing  Kate 
talking  to  Mr.  Lennox,  she  assumed  an  air  of  mingled 
surprise  and  regret. 

Kate  noticed  this,  but  Mr.  Lennox  had  no  eyes  for  any- 
thing but  the  bacon,  which  he  heaped  on  his  plate  and  de- 
voured voraciousl}^  It  pleased  Kate  to  see  him  enjoy  his 
breakfast,  but  while  she  was  admiring  him  Mrs.  Ede  said 
as  she  moved  towards  the  door,  "  Can  I  do  anything  for  you, 
sir?" 

"  Well,  no,"  replied  Mr.  Lennox  indifferently;  but  see- 
ing that  Kate  was  going  too  he  swallowed  a  mouthful  of 
tea  hastily  and  said,  "  I  was  just  telling  this  lady  here  that 
we  had  a  tremendous  success  last  night,  and  that  she  ought 
to  come  and  see  the  piece.  I  think  she  said  she  had  no  one 
to  go  with.  You  should  take  her.  I'm  sure  you  will  like 
the  Cloches." 

Kate  looked  startled  at  this  proposition,  and  Mrs.  Ede 
looked  indignant.  After  a  moment  she  recovered  herself, 
and  she  said  severely  and  emphatically,  "  Thank  you,  sir, 
but  I'm  a  Christian  woman.  No  offense,  sir,  but  I  don't 
think  such  things  are  right." 

"  Ah !  don't  you,  indeed  ?  "  replied  the  actor,  looking  at 
her  in  blank  astonishment.  But  the  expression  of  his  face 
soon  changed,  and  as  if  struck  suddenl}^  by  some  painful 
remembrance,  he  said,  "  You  are  a  Dissenter  or  something 
of  that  kind,  I  suppose.  We  lost  a  lot  of  money  at  Brad- 
ford through  people  of  your  persuasion;  they  jolly  well 
jjreached  against  us." 

To  this  speech  Mrs.  Ede  made  no  reply,  and  Kate, 
frightened  out  of  her  life,  certain  that  something  terrible 


A  Mummer's  Wife  51 

was  going  to  happen,  made  a  hurried  explanation  that  her 
mother-in-law  held  very  severe  views,  but  that  it  would 
not  do  for  us  all  to  think  alike. 

This  brought  the  conversation  to  a  dead  lock,  and  it  was 
clear  to  all  parties  that  they  felt  too  deeply  on  the  subject 
to  trust  themselves  to  further  argument.  Mrs.  Ede  ac- 
cepted the  suggestion  that  "  Ealph  might  be  waiting  for 
something  upstairs/'  and  after  a  few  brief  and  apologetic 
phrases  Kate  withdrew  discountenanced  to  her  workroom. 

Would  Mr.  Lennox  take  offense  and  leave  them  ?  was  the 
question  she  asked  herself  as  she  sat  sewing  passementerie 
leaves  on  to  the  silk  sleeves.  Occasionally  Miss  Hender 
looked  up  inquiringly.  She  suspected  that  something  had 
occurred,  and  was  dying  to  hear  what  it  was;  but  there 
sat  those  idiotic  little  girls,  and  of  course  it  wouldn't  do  to 
speak  before  them.  Nevertheless  from  time  to  time  she 
hazarded  an  indirect  allusion.  Once  she  hinted  she  had 
heard  that  Mr.  Lennox,  although  a  very  nice  man,  was  a  bit 
quick-tempered. 

Kate  answered  this  query  evasively.  She  said  that  it 
was  difficult  to  know  what  Mr.  Lennox  was  like,  and  with 
that  remark  she  allowed  the  conversation  to  fall  to  the 
ground.  Words  were  to  her  an  effort,  and  she  could  not 
detach  a  single  precise  thought  from  the  leaden-colored 
dreams  which  hung  about  her. 

Click,  click,  went  the  needles  all  day  long.  Mrs.  Barnes 
was  Kate's  best  customer,  but  she  could  not  understand 
what  a  woman  who  lived  in  a  thirty  pound  house  could 
want  with  a  ten  pound  dress.  But  that  was  no  affair  of  hers, 
and  as  it  was  most  important  she  should  not  disappoint 
her,  Kate  kept  Miss  Hender  to  dinner ;  and  as  compensation 
for  the  press  of  work,  she  sent  round  to  the  public  for  three 
extra  half-pints.  They  needed  a  drink,  for  the  warmth  of 
the  day  was  intense.  Along  the  red  tiles  of  the  houses, 
amid  the  brick  courtyards,  the  sun's  rays  created  an  oven- 
like atmosphere.  From  the  high  wall  opposite  the  dead 
glare  poured  into  the  little  front  kitchen  through  the  mus- 
lin blinds,  burning  the  pot  of  greenstuff,  and  falling  in 
large  spots  upon  the  tiled  floor.  Overcome  by  the  heat, 
the  two  women  lay  back  on  the  little  red  calico-covered  sofa. 


52  A  Muynmer's  Wife 

languidly  sipping  their  beer,  and  thinking  vaguely  of  when 
they  would  have  to  commence  work  again.  Miss  Hender 
lolled  with  her  legs  stretched  out;  Kate  wearily  rested 
her  head  upon  her  hand;  Mrs.  Ede  sat  straight,  apparently 
unheeding  the  sunlight  which  fell  across  the  plaid  shawl 
which  she  wore  winter  and  summer.  She  drank  her  beer 
in  quick  gulps,  as  if  even  the  time  for  swallowing  was 
rigidly  portioned  out.  The  others  watched  her,  knowing 
that  when  her  pewter  was  empty  she  would  turn  them  out 
of  the  kitchen.  In  a  few  moments  she  said,  "  I  think, 
Kate,  that  if  you're  in  a  hurry  you'd  better  get  on  with 
your  dress.  I  have  to  see  to  Mr.  Lennox's  dinner,  and  I 
can't  have  you  a-hanging  about.  As  it  is  I  don't  know 
how  I  am  to  get  the  work  done.  There  is  a  leg  of  mutton 
to  be  roasted,  and  a  pudding  to  be  made,  and  all  by  four 
o'clock." 

Kate  calmed  the  old  woman  with  a  few  words,  and  tak- 
ing Ealph's  dinner  from  her,  carried  it  upstairs.  She 
found  her  husband  better,  but  he  complained  of  being  neg- 
lected. Setting  the  tray  on  the  edge  of  the  bed,  she  briefly 
answered  the  questions  he  put  to  her  concerning  the  actor, 
then  begged  of  him  to  excuse  her,  and  slipped  out  of  the 
room.  About  half-past  three  Mr.  Lennox  came  in  with 
two  men,  whom  she  found  out  afterwards  to  be  Joe  Morti- 
mer the  low  comedian  and  young  Montgomery  the  conduc- 
tor. Miss  Hender  was  in  a  wild  state  of  curiosity,  and  it 
became  difficult  to  prevent  her  from  listening  at  the  doors, 
and  almost  useless  to  remind  her  of  the  fact  that  there 
were  children  present,  so  excited  did  she  become  when  she 
spoke  of  Bret's  love  affairs. 

But  at  six  o'clock,  she  put  on  her  hat  determinedly ;  the 
children  took  their  leave  at  the  same  time,  and  Kate  was 
left  to  finish  the  silk  dress  alone.  There  was  still  much 
to  be  done,  and  when  Mrs.  Ede  called  from  the  kitchen  that 
tea  was  ready,  Kate  did  not  at  first  answer,  and  when  she 
did  descend  she  did  not  remain  above  ten  minutes, — just 
long  enough  to  eat  piece  of  bread  and  butter.  Her  head 
was  filled  with  grave  forebodings,  which  gradually  drifted 
and  concentrated  into  one  fixed  idea,  not  to  disappoint  Mrs. 
Barnes.    Once,  and  quite  suddenly,  she  was  startled  by  an 


A  Mummer's  Wife  63 

idea  which,  led  up  to  by  nothing,  flashed  across  her  mind, 
and  stopping  in  the  middle  of  a  leaf,  she  considered  the 
question  that  had  propounded  itself.  Lodgers  often  made 
love  to  their  landladies;  what  would  she  do  if  he  made  love 
to  her  ?  such  a  thing  might  occur.  An  expression  of  annoy- 
ance contracted  her  face,  and  she  passively  resumed  her 
sewing.  The  hours  passed  slowly  and  oppressively.  It  was 
now  ten  o'clock;  the  tail  had  still  to  be  bound  with  braid, 
and  the  side-strings  to  be  sewn  in.  Having  no  tape  by  her, 
she  thought  of  putting  off  these  finishing-touches  till  the 
morning,  but  plucking  up  her  courage,  she  determined  to 
go  down  and  fetch  from  the  shop  what  was  required.  The 
walk  did  her  good,  but  it  was  hard  to  sit  down  again  to 
work;  and  the  next  few  minutes  seemed  to  her  intermin- 
able: but  at  last  the  last  stitch  was  given,  the  thread  bitten 
off,  and  the  dress  held  up  in  triumph.  She  looked  at  it  for 
a  moment  with  a  feeling  of  pride,  which  soon  faded  into 
a  sensation  of  profound  lassitude. 

However,  her  day's  labor  was  over,  and  she  was  now  free. 
But  the  thought  carried  with  it  a  savor  of  bitterness,  for  she 
remembered  that  there  was  no  place  for  her  to  go  to  but 
her  sick  husband's  room.  Unconsciously  she  had  been  look- 
ing forward  to  having  at  least  one  night's  rest,  and  it  ex- 
asperated her  to  think  that  there  was  nothing  for  her  but 
a  hard  pallet  in  the  backroom,  and  the  certainty  of  being 
awakened  several  times  to  attend  to  her  husband.  Then 
she  asked  passionately  if  she  was  always  going  to  remain  a 
slave  and  a  drudge?  Miss  Hender's  words  came  back  to 
her  with  a  strange  distinctness,  and  she  saw  that  of  pleas- 
ure, or  even  of  happiness,  she  knew  nothing;  and  in  a  very 
simple  way  she  wondered  what  were  really  the  ends  of  life. 
She  longed  to  be  good  and  religious,  like  her  mother  or  her 
mother-in-law,  but  somehow  she  could  never  feel  as  they 
did,  it  all  seemed  so  far  away.  Of  course  it  was  a  great 
consolation  to  think  there  was  a  happier  and  better  world ; 

still — still .     K'ot  being  able  to  pursue  the  thread  any 

further,  she  stopped  puzzled,  and  when  her  thoughts  again 
detached  themselves,  she  was  thinking  of  the  lady  who  used 
to  read  Byron  and  Shelley,  and  who  so  bravely  resisted  her 
lover's  entreaties.    Every  part  of  the  forgotten  story  came 


54  A   Mummer's   Wife 

back  to  her.  She  completely  realized  the  place  they  used 
to  dream  in.  She  could  see  them  watching  with  ardent  eyes 
the  paling  of  the  distant  sky  as  they  listened  to  the  hum- 
ming of  insects,  breathing  the  honied  odor  of  the  flowers; 
she  saw  her  leaning  on  his  arm  caressingly,  whilst  pensively 
she  tore  with  the  other  hand  the  leaves  as  they  passed  up 
the  long  terrace. 

Then,  as  the  vision  became  more  personal,  and  she  identi- 
fied herself  with  the  heroine  of  the  book,  she  thought  of  the 
wealth  of  love  she  had  to  give,  and  it  seemed  to  her  un- 
utterably sad  that  it  should,  like  a  rose  in  a  desert,  lie 
unknown  and  unappreciated. 

This  was  the  last  flight  of  her  dream.  The  frail  wings 
of  her  imagination  could  sustain  her  no  longer,  and  too 
weary  to  care  for  or  even  to  think  of  anything,  she  went  up- 
stairs. There  she  found  Mrs.  Ede  painting  her  son's  chest 
and  back  with  iodine.  He  had  had  a  bad  attack,  which  was 
beginning  to  su])side.  His  face  was  haggard,  his  eyes  tur- 
gid, and  his  laboring  chest  produced  the  whole  asthmatic 
scale,  from  the  highest  wheeze  to  the  lowest  grunt.  The 
usual  vapory  smell  of  ether  pervaded  the  room,  and  the 
lamp  burned  with  a  fierce  red  glow  behind  the  red  petticoat. 

The  two  women  talked  together.  Mrs.  Ede,  indignant, 
told  of  the  trouble  she  had  had  with  the  dinner.  She  had 
had  to  fetch  cigars  and  drinks.  Kate  listened,  watching  her 
husband  all  the  while.  He  at  last  began  to  get  a  little 
better,  and  Mrs.  Ede  took  advantage  of  the  occasion  to 
suggest  that  it  was  time  for  evening  prayers. 

In  days  when  speech  was  possible,  it  was  Mr.  Ede  who 
read  the  customary  chapter  of  the  Bible  and  led  the  way 
with  the  Lord's  Prayer;  but  when  words  were  forbidden 
to  him  his  mother  supplied  his  place.  The  tall  figure  knelt 
straight.  It  was  not  a  movement  of  cringing  humility, 
but  of  stalwart  belief,  and  Kate,  as  she  handed  her  the 
Bible,  could  not  help  thinking  that  there  was  pride  in  her 
mother-in-law's  very  knees. 

The  old  woman  turned  over  the  leaves  for  a  few  seconds 
in  silence ;  then,  having  determined  on  a  chapter,  began  to 
read.    But  she  had  not  got  beyond  a  few  sentences  before 


A  Mummer's  Wife  55 

she  was  interrupted  by  the  sound  of  laughing  voices  and 
stamping  feet. 

Horrified,  she  stopped  reading,  and  looked  from  Kate 
to  her  husband.  He  was  at  the  moment  searching  for  his 
pocket-handkerchief.  Trembling,  Kate  rose  to  assist  him, 
and  Mrs.  Ede  said, 

"  It  is  shameful !  'tis  disgraceful !  " 

"  It  is  only  Mr.  Lennox  coming  in." 

"  Only  Mr.  Lennox !  "  At  that  moment  she  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  lighter  laughter  of  female  voices,  and  she 
paused  to  listen.  Then  shutting  the  book  fiercely  she  said, 
"  From  the  first  I  was  against  letting  our  rooms  to  an  actor ; 
but  I  certainly  did  not  think  I  should  live  to  see  my  son's 
house  turned  into  a  nighthouse.    I  shall  not  stop  here." 

"  Not  stop  here,  eh,  eh  ?  We  must  tell — tell  him  that  it 
can't  be  allowed,"  wheezed  Mr.  Ede,  as  he  mopped  his 
sweating  face. 

"  And  I  should  like  to  know  who  are  these  women  he  has 
dared  to  bring  into —    People  he  has  met  in  Piccadilly,  I 


suppose 


"  Oh,  no  !  "  interrupted  Kate.  "  I  am  sure  that  they  are 
the  ladies  of  the  theatre." 

"  And  where's  the  difference  ?  "  Mrs.  Ede  asked  fiercely. 
Sectarian  hatred  of  worldly  amusement  flamed  in  her  eyes, 
and  made  common  cause  with  the  ordinary  prejudice  of  the 
British  landlady.  Mr.  Ede  shared  his  mother's  opinion;  but 
as  he  was  then  suffering  from  a  splitting  headache,  his  chief 
desire  was  that  she  should  lower  the  tone  of  her  voice. 

"  For  goodness  sake,  don't  speak  so  loud !  "  he  said  plain- 
tively. "  Of  course  he  mustn't  bring  women  into  the  house ; 
but  he  had  better  be  told  so.  Kate,  go  down  and  tell  him 
that  these  ladies  must  leave." 

Hearing  her  fate  thus  determined,  Kate  stood  aghast, 
and  she  asked  herself  how  she  was  to  tell  Mr.  Lennox 
that  he  must  put  his  friends  out  of  doors.  She  hesitated, 
and  during  a  long  silence  all  three  listened.  A  great  guf- 
faw, a  woman's  shriek,  a  peal  of  laughter,  and  then  a  clink- 
ing of  glasses  was  heard.  Even  Kate's  face  admitted  that 
she  thought  it  very  improper,  and  Mrs.  Ede  said  with  a 
theatrical  air  of  suppressed  passion : 


56  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"Very  well;  I  suppose  that  is  all  that  can  be  done  at 
present." 

Feeling  very  helpless,  Kate  murmured,  "  I  do  not  see 
how  I  am  to  tell  them  to  go.  Hadn't  we  better  put  it  off 
until  morning  ?  " 

"  Till  morning !  "  said  Mr.  Ede,  trying  to  button  his 
dirty  night-shirt  across  his  hairy  chest.  "  I'm  not  going 
to  listen  to  that  noise  all  night.  Kate,  you  g — go  and 
tur — r — n  them  out." 

"  I'm  sorry,  dearie,"  said  Mrs.  Ede,  seeing  her  daughter- 
in-law's  distress.    "  I'll  soon  send  them  away." 

"  Oh,  no  !  I'd  rather  go  myself,"  said  Kate. 

"  Very  well,  dear.  I  only  thought  you  might  not  like  to 
go  down  among  a  lot  of  rough  people." 

The  row  downstairs  was  in  the  meanwhile  increasing. 
Ealph  grew  as  angry  as  his  asthma  would  allow  him. 
"  They  are  killing  me  with  their  noise.  Go  down  at  once 
and  tell  them  they  must  leave  the  house  instantly.  If  you 
don't  I'll  go  myself." 

With  a  look  of  horror  at  this  threat,  Mrs.  Ede  made  a 
movement  towards  the  door,  but  Kate  stopped  her,  saying, 

"  I'll  go ;  it  is  my  place."  As  she  descended  the  stairs 
she  heard  a  man's  voice  screaming  above  the  general  hub- 
bub: 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  if  Miss  Beaumont  doesn't  wait  for 
my  beat  another  night,  I'll  insist  on  a  rehearsal  being  called. 
She  took  the  concerted  music  in  the  finale  of  the  first 
act  two  whole  bars  before  her  time.  It  was  damned  awful. 
I  nearly  broke  my  stick  trying  to  stop  her." 

"  Quite  true ;  I  never  saw  the  piece  go  so  bad.  Bret 
was  '  fluffing '  all  over  the  shop." 

Kate  listened  vaguely  to  these  fragments  of  conversation, 
and  tremblingly  asked  herself  how  she  was  to  walk  in  upon 
those  people  and  tell  them  that  they  must  keep  quiet. 

"  And  the  way  Beaumont  tries  to  spoon  with  Dick.  She 
nearly  missed  her  cue  once  with  sneaking  after  him  in  the 
wings." 

A  peal  of  laughter  followed.  This  sally  determined  Kate 
to  act ;  and,  without  having  made  up  her  mind  what  she  was 


A  Mummer's  Wife  57 

going  to  say,  she  turned  the  handle  of  the  door  and  walked 
into  the  room. 

The  three  gasbnrners  were  blazing,  wineglasses  were  on 
the  table,  and  Mr.  Lennox  stood  twisting  a  corkscrew  into  a 
bottle  which  he  held  between  his  fat  thighs.  As  Kate 
entered  he  looked  np. 

On  the  little  green  sofa  Miss  Liicy  Leslie  lay  back,  play- 
ing with  her  bonnet-strings.  Her  legs  were  crossed,  and 
a  lifted  skirt  showed  a  bit  of  striped  stocking.  Next  her, 
with  his  spare  legs  sprawled  over  the  arm  of  the  easy-chair, 
was  Mr.  Montgomery,  the  thinnest  being  possible  to  ima- 
gine, in  gray  clothes.  His  nose  was  enormous,  and  he 
pushed  up  his  glasses  when  Kate  came  into  the  room  with 
a  movement  of  the  left  hand  that  was  clearly  habitual.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  round  table  sat  Mr.  Joe  Mortimer, 
the  heavy  lead,  the  celebrated  miser  in  the  Cloches.  A  tall 
girl  standing  behind  him  playfully  twisted  his  back-hair. 
He  addressed  paternal  admonitions  to  her  from  time  to 
time  in  an  artificially  cracked  voice. 

"  Please,  sir,"  said  Kate  pleadingly,  "  I'm  very  sorry,  but 
we  cannot  keep  open  house  after  eleven  o'clock." 

A  deep  silence  followed  this  announcement.  Miss  Leslie 
looked  up  at  Kate  curiously.  Mr.  Lennox  stopped  twisting 
the  corkscrew  into  the  bottle,  and  his  big  blue  eyes  beamed 
with  amazement. 

Then  the  low  comedian,  seizing  the  opportunity,  mur- 
mured in  his  mechanical  voice  to  the  girl  behind  him, 
"  Open  house !  Of  course,  she's  quite  right.  I  knew  there 
Vv'as  a  draught  somewhere ;  I  felt  my  hair  blowing  about." 

Everybody  laughed,  and  the  merriment  contributed  to 
still  further  discountenance  the  workwoman. 

"  Will  he  never  speak  and  let  me  go?  "  she  asked  herself. 
At  last  he  did  speak,  and  his  words  fell  upon  her  like  blows. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  Mrs.  Ede,"  he  said  in  a 
loud,  commanding  voice.  "  I  made  no  agreement  with 
you  that  I  was  not  to  bring  friends  home  with  me  in  the 
evening.  Had  I  known  that  I  was  taking  lodgings  in  a 
church  T  wouldn't  have  come." 

Kate  did  not  know  what  answer  to  make.    She  felt  dread- 


58  A  Mummer's  Wife 

fully  humiliated,  and  nothing  was  really  present  in  her 
mind  but  a  vague  desire  to  conciliate  Mr.  Lennox. 

"  It  is  not  my  fault,  sir.  I  really  don't  mind ;  but  my 
mother-in-law  and  my  husband  will  not  have  people  com- 
ing into  the  house  after  ten  o'clock." 

Mr.  Lennox's  face  showed  that  his  heart  had  softened 
towards  her,  and  when  she  mentioned  that  her  husband  was 
lying  ill  in  bed,  turning  round  to  his  company  he  said, 

"  I  think  we  are  making  too  much  noise ;  we  should  not 
like  it  ourselves  if " 

But  just  at  that  moment,  when  all  was  about  to  end 
pleasantly,  Mrs.  Ede  was  heard  at  the  top  of  the  stairs. 

"'  I  am  a  Christian  woman,  and  will  not  remain  in  a 
house  where  drinking  and  women " 

This  speech  changed  everything.  Mr.  Lennox's  eyes 
flashed  with  passion.  He  made  a  movement  as  if  he  were 
going  to  shout  an  answer  back  to  Mrs.  Ede,  but  checking 
himself  he  said,  addressing  Kate,  "  I  beg  that  you  will  leave 
my  rooms,  ma'am.  You  can  give  me  warning  in  the  morn- 
ing if  you  like,  or  rather,  I'll  give  it  to  you;  but  for  this 
evening,  at  least,  the  place  is  mine,  and  I  shall  do  what  I 
like."  On  that  he  advanced  towards  the  door  and  threw 
it  open. 

Tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  She  looked  sorrowfully  at  Mr. 
Lennox.  It  was  a  pitiful,  appealing  glance  which  he  no- 
ticed, but  was  too  angry  to  understand.  The  look  was  her 
whole  soul.  She  did  not  see  Miss  Leslie  sneering,  nor  Mr. 
Montgomery's  grinning  face.  She  saw  Mr.  Lennox,  and 
nothing  but  him,  and  stunned  by  the  thought  of  his  leaving 
them,  she  followed  her  mother-in-law  upstairs.  The  old 
woman  scolded  and  rowed.  To  have  that  lot  of  men  and 
women  smoking  and  drinking  after  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
house  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  and  she  tried  to  force  her 
son  to  say  that  the  police  must  sent  for.  But  it  was  im- 
possible to  get  an  answer  from  him;  the  excitement  and 
effort  of  speaking  had  rendered  him  speechless,  and,  hold- 
ing his  moppy  black  hair  with  both  hands,  he  wheezed  in 
deep  organ  tones.  Kate  looked  at  him  blankly.  To  sit  up 
with  him  another  night  she  felt  was  impossible,  and  she 
longed  for  some  place  out  of  hearing  of  his  breath  and  out 


A  Mummer's  Wife  59 

of  the  smell  of  the  medicine-bottles.  His  mother,  who  was 
now  insisting  on  his  taking  a  couple  of  pills,  called  upon 
Kate  to  find  the  box.  The  sharp,  sickly  odor  of  the  aloes 
was  abominable,  and  with  her  stomach  turning,  she  watched 
her  husband  trying  vainly,  with  the  aid  of  a  glass  of  water, 
to  swallow  the  dose.  Stop  in  this  room!  no,  that  she 
couldn't  do;  it  would  poison  her.  She  wanted  sleep  and 
fresh  air.  Where  could  she  get  them?  The  actor  was  in 
the  spare  bedroom ;  but  he  would  be  gone  to-morrow,  and 
she  could  be  left  alone.  The  thought  startled  her,  though 
she  soon  forgot  it  in  her  impetuous  longing  to  get  out  of 
her  husband's  sight.  Every  moment  this  desire  grew 
stronger,  and  at  last  she  said, 

"  I  cannot  stay  here ;  another  night  would  kill  me.  Will 
you  let  me  have  your  room  ?  " 

''  Certainly  I  will,  my  dear,"  replied  the  old  woman, 
astonished  not  so  much  at  the  request,  but  at  the  vehemence 
of  the  emphasis  laid  upon  the  words.  "  You  are  looking 
dreadfully  worn  out,  my  dear ;  I  will  see  to  my  boy." 

When  once  her  request  had  been  granted,  Kate  felt  the 
burning  wish  grew  cold  in  her  heart.  She  hesitated  as  if 
she  feared  she  was  doing  wrong,  and  she  looked  at  her  hus- 
band wondering  if  he  would  call  her  back. 

But  he  took  no  heed ;  his  attention  was  too  entirely  occu- 
pied by  his  breath  to  think  either  of  her  or  of  the  necessity 
of  sending  for  the  police,  and  he  waved  his  mother  away 
when  she  attempted  to  speak  to  him.  Then,  turning  to 
Kate  as  the  next  person  in  authority,  she  asked, 

"  Are  those  men  going  to  stop  there  all  night  ?  " 

"  Oh !  I  really  don't  know ;  I  am  too  tired  to  bother  about 
it  any  more,"  replied  Kate  petulantly.  "  It  is  all  your 
fault — you  are  to  blame  for  everything;  you  have  no  right 
to  interfere  with  the  lodgers  in  my  house." 

Mrs.  Ede  raised  her  arms  as  she  sought  for  words,  but 
Kate,  without  giving  her  time  to  answer,  walked  out  of  the 
room.    Suddenly  a  voice  cried  in  a  high  key, 

"  Who  do  you  take  me  for,  Dick  ?  I  wasn't  born  yester- 
day. A  devilish  pretty  woman,  if  you  ask  me;  and  what 
black  hair ! " 


60  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Kate  stopped.  "  Black  hair,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  they 
must  be  talking  of  me,"  and  she  listened  intentl}^ 

The  remark,  however,  did  not  appear  to  have  been  par- 
ticularly well  timed,  for  after  a  long  silence,  a  woman's 
voice  said, 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  whether  he  likes  her,  and  I  don't 
care,  but  what  I'm  not  going  to  do  is  to  wait  here  listen- 
ing to  you  all  cracking  up  a  landlady's  good  looks.  I'm 
off." 

A  scuffle  then  vseemed  to  be  taking  place;  half-a-dozen 
voices  spoke  together,  and  in  terror  of  her  life  Kate  flew 
across  the  workroom  to  Mrs.  Ede's  bed. 

The  door  of  the  sitting-room  was  flung  open,  and  cajoling 
and  protesting  words  echoed  along  the  passage  and  up  and 
down  the  burrow-like  staircase.  It  was  undoubtedly  dis- 
graceful, and  Kate  expected  every  minute  to  hear  her 
mother-in-law's  voice  mingling  in  the  fray.  However, 
peace  was  restored,  and  for  at  least  an  hour  she  listened  to 
sounds  of  laughing  voices  mingling  with  the  clinking  of 
glasses.  But  at  last  Dick  wished  his  friends  good-night, 
and  they  went,  leaving  a  long  dark  silence  behind.  Kate, 
who  lay  trembling  under  the  sheets,  listened.  Something 
was  going  to  happen.  "  He  thinks  me  a  pretty  woman ;  she 
is  jealous,"  were  phrases  that  rang  without  ceasing  in  her 
ears.  Then  hearing  his  door  open  she  fancied  he  was  com- 
ing to  seek  her,  and  in  consternation  buried  herself  under 
the  bedclothes,  leaving  only  her  black  hair  over  the  pillows 
to  show  where  she  had  disappeared.  But  the  duplicate  drop 
of  a  pair  of  boots  was  conclusive,  and  assuring  herself  that 
he  would  not  venture  on  such  a  liberty,  she  strove  to  com- 
pose herself  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER    IV 

BOUT  eleven  o'clock  on  the  following  day  Kate 
walked  up  Market  Street  with  Mrs.  Barnes's 
dress.  She  had  just  received  an  angry  letter 
from  that  lady,  saying  that  she  would  not  require 
the  dress — that  it  was  now  of  no  earthly  use  to  her.  This 
was  a  very  serious  matter,  and  as  Kate  walked  with  her  face 
set  against  the  empty  square  of  sky,  set  in  the  end  of  the 
street  as  in  a  frame,  she  thought  of  what  she  could  say  to 
satisfy  her  client. 

Market  Street,  although  scarcely  less  rigid,  presented  a 
less  mercantile  appearance  than  the  rest  of  Hanley.  There 
was  just  a  feeble  look  of  idleness  about  it  which  was  visible 
nowhere  else.  In  the  open  place  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill 
crowds  of  children  were  constantly  playing  about  three 
dilapidated  swings  and  a  merry-go-round.  The  green  and 
yellow  paint  of  these  neglected  toys  suggested  fancies  that 
faded  as  the  eye  scanned  the  acres  of  bare  brick.  Half 
of  the  pipe  of  the  shooting-gallery  had  been  broken  away, 
and  was  lying  amid  the  wheels  of  a  dilapidated  showman's 
cart.  These  were  the  only  signs  of  decay  the  town  pos- 
sessed. Even  the  factory  chimneys  looked  new,  and  the 
dwelling-houses  seemed  as  if  they  had  been  run  up  accord- 
ing to  contract  by  the  gross.  The  eye  was  hurt  by  naked  red 
angles,  by  the  raw  green  of  the  blinds,  and  the  similarity 
of  each  proportion.  Some  few  of  the  doorways,  but  very 
few,  were  adorned  with  stucco  porches  and  iron  railings; 
generally  a  woman  sat  under  a  black  beam,  and  screamed 
down  a  dark  passage  after  a  child. 

Kate's  anxiety  of  mind  caused  her  to  walk  fast  towards 
the  square  of  sky,  where  the  passers  seemed  like  figures  on 
the  top  of  a  monument.  There  she  would  turn  to  the 
left,  and  descend  towards  the  little  quasi  villa  residences 
which  form  the  suburb  of  North  wood ;  and  when,  ten  min- 
utes later,  hot,  and  out  of  breath,  Kate  approached  Mrs. 


62  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Barnes's  door,  she  matured  her  plans,  determining  if  the 
worst  came  to  the  worst  to  let  the  dress  go  at  a  reduction. 
For  the  moment  she  had  forgotten  her  other  troubles,  and 
it  was  not  until  she  had  received  her  money  that  she  re- 
membered that  her  rooms  would  again  be  empty. 

She  was  sorry  Mr.  Lennox  was  going. .  She  did  not  think 
how  rudely  he  had  turned  her  out  of  his  room;  she  dwelt 
rather  on  his  kindness  when  she  brought  him  up  his  break- 
fast, and  the  nice  pleasant  way  he  had  of  speaking,  A  dim 
feeling  of  unexplained  tenderness  grew  upon  her  mysteri- 
ously as  mists  gather  along  a  low  shore,  and  almost  uncon- 
sciously she  gazed  upon  the  view  before  her.  She  slipped 
years  back  into  the  past,  until  she  stood  again  a  young  girl 
on  the  playground  of  her  youth,  watching  the  rolling  hills 
spreading  up  and  along  the  sky-line. 

Below  her,  in  the  dazzling  morning  light,  lay  a  valley 
miles  upon  miles  in  length.  It  was  one  of  those  terrible 
cauldrons  in  which  man  melts  and  moulds  this  huge  age  of 
iron.  And  of  what  did  this  valley  consist  Of  black 
plains  that  the  sunlight  could  not  change  in  color;  of 
patches  of  grass,  hard  and  metallic  in  hue;  of  tanks  of 
water  glittering  like  blades  of  steel;  of  gigantic  smoke- 
clouds  rolling  over  the  stems  of  a  thousand  factory  chim- 
neys. Like  the  bayonets  of  an  advancing  army  they  came, 
encircling  Bucknell,  a  single  oasis  in  this  black  desert, 
through  whose  woods  curled  constantly  the  white  steam 
of  a  passing  train. 

Kate  stood  on  the  side  of  a  steep  declivity.  Through  its 
worn  sides  black  cinders  protruded,  and  the  ruins  of  de- 
serted collieries  stood  close  at  hand.  On  her  left,  some  fifty 
feet  below,  running  in  the  shape  of  a  fan  round  a  belt  of 
green,  were  the  roofs  of  Northwood — a  river  of  black  brick 
unrelieved  by  any  trace  of  color  saving  the  yellow  chimney- 
tops  that  were  speckled  upon  a  line  of  fluffy  clouds.  Sharp 
as  the  teeth  of  a  double  saw  were  the  interminable  gables, 
and  not  ray  of  light  glinted  against  the  black  windows. 
So  black  was  everything  that  even  the  spire  of  the  church 
remained  a  silhouette  in  the  liquid  sunlight  that  was  poured 
as  out  of  a  diamond  vase  from  the  long  pale  space  of  sky 
which  rose  behind  the  hills  of  Western  Coyney.     On  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  63 

right,  Southwark,  another  river  of  brick,  trickled  down  in- 
to the  valley,  but  this  time  the  color  was  red.  There  the 
lines  were  more  irregular,  and  the  jagged  houses  seemed 
like  cartloads  of  gigantic  pill-boxes  cast  in  a  hurry  from  the 
counter  along  the  floor.  The  lines  of  the  pavement  could 
just  be  distinguished.  Kate  watched  the  crowds  passing. 
A  hansom  with  a  white  horse  appeared  and  disappeared 
amid  these  angular  streets,  sometimes  seen  against  the 
green  blinds  of  a  semi-detached  villa,  sometimes  against 
the  broad  background  of  a  group  of  pottery  ovens  basking 
with  their  yellow  bellies  raised  up  to  the  light. 

The  sun  was  now  rapidly  approaching  the  meridian,  and 
the  kingstar  blazed,  a  vision  of  dancing  flame ;  white  clouds 
trimmed  the  edges  of  the  long  hills,  and  in  the  vibrating 
light  the  wheels  of  the  most  distant  collieries  could  almost 
be  counted,  and  the  stems  of  the  far-off  factory  chimneys 
appeared  like  tiny  fingers. 

Kate  saw  with  the  eyes  and  heard  with  the  ears  of  her 
youth,  and  the  past  became  as  clear  as  the  landscape  before 
her.  She  remembered  the  days  when  she  came  to  read  on 
this  hillside.  The  titles  of  the  books  rose  up  in  her  mind, 
and  she  could  recall  the  sorrow  she  felt  for  the  heroes  and 
heroines.  It  seemed  to  her  strange  that  that  time  was  so 
long  past,  and  she  wondered  why  she  had  forgotten  it.  Now 
it  all  seemed  so  near  to  her  that  she  felt  like  one  only  just 
awakened  from  a  dream.  And  these  memories  made  her 
happy.  She  took  an  infinite  pleasure  in  recalling  every 
little  event — an  excursion  she  made  when  she  was  quite 
a  little  girl  to  the  ruined  colliery,  and,  later  on,  a  conversa- 
tion with  a  chance  acquaintance,  a  young  man  who  had 
stopped  to  speak  to  her. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  right  before  her  eyes,  the 
white  gables  of  Bucknell  Rectory,  hidden  amid  masses  of 
trees,  glittered  now  and  then  in  an  entangled  beam 
that  flickered  between  chimneys,  across  brick-banked 
squares  of  water  darkened  by  brick  walls.  Then  behind 
Bucknell  were  more  desolate  plains  full  of  pits,  brick,  and 
smoke;  and  then  for  miles  rose  up  against  the  sky,  with  a 
roll  oceanic  in  gradeur,  the  interminable  hills. 

The  American  tariff  had  not  yet  come  into  operation. 


64  A  Mummer's  Wife 

and  every  wheel  was  turning,  every  oven  baking;  and 
tlirough  a  drifting  veil  of  smoke  the  sloping  sides  of  the 
hills  with  all  their  fields  could  be  seen  sleeping  under  im- 
mense covertures  of  shadow,  or  basking  naked  upon  beds 
of  light.  A  deluge  of  rays  fell  upon  them,  defining  every 
angle  of  Watley  Eocks,  and  floating  over  the  grasslands  of 
Standon  until  all  was  lost  in  a  huge  embrasure  filled  with 
the  almost  imperceptible  outlines  of  the  Wever  Hills.  For, 
like  a  reversed  teacup  placed  in  a  basin  is  the  mound  on 
Vv'hich  the  red  town  of  Hanley  is  built;  and  the  intersecting 
lines,  squares,  and  oblongs  of  the  hill-fields  render  the  like- 
ness more  apparent,  representing  as  they  do  a  pattern  simi- 
lar to  the  painted  edging  of  a  Staffordshire  basin. 

And  these  vast  slopes,  which  formed  the  background  of 
every  street,  were  the  theatre  of  all  Kate's  travels;  and 
before  life's  struggles  had  ground  her  down  she  never  saw 
them  without  dreaming.  When  as  a  little  girl  she  played 
about  the  black  cinders  of  the  hillside  she  used  to  stop 
to  watch  the  sunlight  flash  along  the  far-away  green  spaces, 
and  in  her  thougths  connected  them  with  the  marvels  she 
had  read  of  in  her  books  of  fairy  tales.  Surely  be3'^ond 
these  wonderful  hills  were  the  palaces  of  the  kings  and 
queens,  who  could  wave  their  wands  and  vanish  ?  Then  a 
few  years  later  it  was  there,  or  beyond  those  slopes,  that  the 
lovers  lived  with  whom  she  sympathized  in  the  pages  of  her 
novels. 

She  had  not  been  where  she  now  stood  for  months,  and 
under  the  influence  of  all  her  new-found  emotions  she 
wondered  why  she  had  never  thought  before  of  revisiting 
these  old  places.  For,  sudden  as  the  splash  of  a  stone 
dropped  into  a  well,  the  knoweldge  came  to  her  that  she 
was  no  longer  happy,  that  her  life  was  no  more  than  a 
l)urden,  a  misery.  But  the  analysis  of  her  thoughts  is 
difticult,  so  rapid,  so  contradictory  were  they.  A  hundred 
different  things  occurred  to  her  at  once.  Above  all,  she 
remembered  her  marriage,  and  how  Mrs.  Ede  had  persuaded 
her  into  it,  and  for  the  first  time  she  blamed  the  old  woman 
for  her  interference.  But  this  was  not  alL  Kate  was  will- 
ing to  admit  that  there  was  no  one  she  loved  like  Mr.  Ede, 
but  still  it  was  hard  to  live  with  a  mother-in-law  who  had 


A  Mummer's  Wife  65 

a  finger  in  everything  and  used  tlie  house  like  her  own. 
It  would  be  all  very  well  if  she  were  not  so  very  obstinate 
— if  she  were  not  so  very  certain  that  she  was  always  right. 
Eeligion  was  very  well,  but  that  perpetual  "  I'm  a  Chris- 
tian woman,"  was  sickening.  Xo  wonder  Mr.  Lennox 
couldn't  stand  it.  Poor  man,  why  sliould  he  not  have  a 
few  friends  up  in  the  evening  ?  Tlie  lodgings  were  his  own 
while  he  paid  for  them.  She  l)lamed  herself  bitterly  for 
Imving  insulted  the  man  in  his  rooms,  and  before  his 
friends.  No  wonder  he  cut  up  rough;  no  wonder  he  was 
leaving  them.  If  so  she  would  never  see  him  again.  The 
thought  caught  her  like  a  pain  in  the  throat,  and  with  a 
sudden  instinct  she  turned  to  hurry  home.  As  she  did 
so  her  eyes  fell  on  Mr.  Lennox;  he  was  walking  towards 
her.  At  such  an  unexpected  realization  of  her  thoughts 
she  uttered  a  little  cry  of  surprise;  but,  smiling  affably, 
and  in  no  way  disconcerted,  he  raised  his  big  hat  from  his 
head.  On  account  of  the  softness  of  the  felt  this  could  only 
be  accomplished  by  passing  the  arm  over  the  head  and 
seizing  the  crown  as  a  conjuror  would  a  pocket-handker- 
chief. The  movement  was  large  and  unctuous,  and  it 
impressed  Kate  considerably. 

"  I  took  the  liberty  to  stop,  for  you  seemed  so  interested 
that  I  felt  curious  to  know  what  could  be  worth  looking  at 
in  those  horrid  chimneys  and  mounds  of  cinders." 

"  I  was  not  looking  at  the  factories,  but  at  the  hills.  The 
view  from  here  is  considered  very  fine.  Don't  you  think  so, 
sir?  "  she  asked,  feeling  afraid  that  she  had  made  some  mis- 
take. 

"  Ah,  well,  now  you  mention  it,  perhaps  it  is.  How  far 
away,  and  yet  how  distinct !  They  look  like  the  gallery 
of  a  theatre.  We're  on  the  stage,  the  footlights  run  round 
here,  and  the  valley  is  the  pit ;  and  there  are  plenty  of  pits 
in  it,"  he  added  laughing.  "  But  I  mustn't  speak  to  you 
of  the  theatre." 

"  Oh,  I'm  sure  I  don't  mind !  I'm  very  fond  of  the  thea- 
tre," said  Kate  hastily. 

This  indirect  allusion  to  last  night  brought  the  con- 
versation to  a  close,  and  for  some  moments  they  stood  look- 
ing vacantly  at  the  landscape.  Overhead  the  sky  was  one 
5 


66  A  Mummer's  Wife 

serene  sheet  of  dazzling  blue,  and  so  still  was  the  air  that 
the  smoke-clouds  trailed  like  the  wings  of  gigantic  birds 
slowly  balancing  themselves.  Waves  of  white  light  rolled 
up  the  valley  as  if  jealous  of  the  red,  flashing  furnaces.  An 
odor  of  iron  and  cinders  poisoned  the  melting  air,  and  rose 
through  it  from  the  black  gulf  below  like  intestine  exhala- 
tions from  the  open  belly  of  a  lately  slaughtered  animal. 
After  some  moments  of  contemplation,  which  seemed  to 
draw  them  closer  together,  Mr.  Lennox  said, 

"  There  is  no  doubt  but  the  view  is  very  grand,  but  it  is 
tantalizing  to  have  those  hills  before  your  eyes  when  you 
are  shut  up  in  red  brick  oven.  How  fresh  and  cool  they 
look  !  What  wouldn't  you  give  to  be  straying  about  in  those 
fresh  woods  far  away  ?  " 

Kate  looked  at  Mr.  Lennox  with  ravished  eyes ;  his  words 
had  flooded  her  mind  with  a  thousand  forgotten  dreams. 
She  felt  she  liked  him  l)etter  for  what  he  had  said,  and  she 
murmured  as  if  half  ashamed — 

"  I  was  never  out  of  Hanley.  I  never  saw  the  sea,  and 
when  I  was  a  child  I  used  to  fancy  that  the  fairies  lived 
beyond  those  hills;  even  now  I  can't  help  imagining  that 
the  world  is  quite  difl^erent  over  there.  Here  it  is  all  brick, 
but  in  novels  they  never  speak  of  anything  but  gardens  and 
fields." 

"  Never  seen  the  sea  ?  Well  there  isn't  much  to  see  in  it," 
said  Mr.  Lennox  laughing  at  the  pun.  "  When  you  were  a 
little  girl  you  used  to  come  here  to  play,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  was  born  over  there  in  one  of  those  cottages.'* 

Mr.  Lennox  did  not  seem  to  know  whether  to  look  sorry 
or  sentimental,  but  he  listened  patiently  to  Kate  who, 
proud  of  being  able  to  show  him  anything,  pointed  out  the 
(lifl^erent  points  of  view.  The  white  gables  that  could  just 
be  distinguished  in  the  large  dark  masses  of  trees,  the  one 
oasis  in  the  ocean  of  cinders,  was  Bucknell  Eectory.  The 
fragment  of  the  cliff  on  the  top  of  the  highest  ridge  half- 
way up  the  sky  was  Watley  Eocks ;  then  came  Western  Coy- 
ney,  the  plains  of  Standon,  and  far  away,  in  a  blue  mist, 
the  faint  outlines  of  the  Wever  Hills.  But  Mr.  Lennox 
did  not  seem  very  much  interested ;  the  sun  was  too  hot  for 
him,  and  in  the  first  pause  of  the  conversation  he  asked 


A  Mummer's  Wife  67 

Kate  which  way  she  was  going.  He  had  to  get  on  to  the 
theatre,  and  he  asked  her  if  she  would  show  him  the  way- 
there. 

"  You  can't  do  better  than  to  go  down  Market  Street ;  but 
if  you  like  I  will  direct  you." 

"  I  shall  be  so  glad  if  you  will ;  but  Market  Street — I 
think  you  said  Market  Street  ?  That  is  just  the  way  I  have 
come." 

Market  Street  was  where  people  connected  with  the  thea- 
tre generally  lived,  and  Kate  knew  at  once  he  had  been  there 
looking  for  lodgings ;  but  she  was  ashamed  to  tax  him  with 
it,  and  they  walked  on  for  some  time  without  speaking. 
But  every  moment  the  silence  became  more  irritating,  and 
at  last,  determined  to  know  the  worst,  she  said,  "  I  suppose 
you  were  looking  for  lodgings ;  all  the  theatre  people  put  up 
in  that  street." 

Mr.  Lennox  flinched  before  this  direct  question. 

"  Why  no,  not  exactly ;  I  was  calling  on  some  friends ; 
but  there  are,  as  you  say,  some  of  the  profession  living  in 
the  street;  and  now  you  mention  it,  I  suppose  I  shall  have 
to  find  some  new  diggings." 

"  I  am  sorry,  sir,  very  sorry,"  said  Kate  looking  up  into 
the  big  blue  eyes.  "  I  ought  not  to  have  come  down;  you 
are,  of  course,  master  in  your  own  rooms." 

"  Oh,  it  was  not  your  fault ;  I  could  live  with  you  for- 
ever. You  mustn't  think  I  want  to  change,  if  you  could 
only  guarantee  that  your  mother-in-law  will  keep  out  of 
my  way." 

Kate  felt  at  that  moment  that  she  would  guarantee  any- 
thing that  would  prevent  j\Tr.  Lennox  from  leaving  her 
house. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  there  will  be  any  difficulty  abouj; 
that,"  she  said  eagerly.  "  I'll  bring  your  breakfast  and 
dinner  up,  and  you  are  out  nearly  all  day." 

"  Very  well,  then,  and  I  will  promise  not  to  bring  home 
any  friends,"  he  added  gallantly. 

"  But  I'm  afraid  you'll  be  very  lonely,  sir." 

"  I'll  have  you  to  talk  to  sometimes." 

Kate  made  no  answer,  but  they  both  felt  that  the  words 
implied  more  than  they  actually  meant,  and  like  people 


G8  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Avho  had  come  to  some  important  conclusion,  they  remained 
silent.  Then  after  a  long  pause,  and  without  any  transition, 
Mr.  Lennox  spoke  of  the  heat  of  the  weather,  and  of  the 
harm  it  was  likely  to  do  their  business  at  the  theatre.  She 
asked  him  what  he  thought  of  Hanley.  Mr.  Lennox  smiled 
through  his  white  moustache,  and  said  the  want  of  trees 
made  it  very  dreary;  he  cared  little  for  the  country,  but  to 
see  nothing  but  brick  made  it  hard  for  the  eyes. 

Not  feeling  quite  satisfied  with  this  last  observation,  Kate 
spoke  of  the  pretty  sites  there  were  about  the  town,  and 
pointing  down  a  red  perspective  backed  by  the  usual  hills, 
she  told  him  that  Trentham,  the  Duke  of  Sutherland's 
place,  was  over  there. 

"  What,  over  those  hills  ?    That  must  be  miles  away." 

"  Oh,  not  so  far  as  that.  Hanley  does  not  reach  to  there. 
The  country  is  perfectly  beautiful,  once  you  get  past  Stoke. 
I  v/ent  once  to  see  the  Duke's  place,  and  we  had  tea  in  the 
inn.  That  was  the  only  time  I  was  ever  really  in  the  coun- 
try, and  even  then  we  were  never  quite  out  of  sight  of  the 
factories.     Still,  it  was  very  nice." 

"  And  who  were  you  with  ?  " 

"  Oh,  with  my  husband." 

"  He's  an  invalid,  is  he  not  ?  " 

"Well,  he  suffers  very  much  at  times,  I'm  afraid;  but 
he's  often  well  enough." 

The  conversation  again  came  to  a  pause,  and  both 
thought  of  how  happy  they  would  be  were  they  taking  tea 
together  at  the  inn  at  Trentham. 

They  were  now  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  close  to  the 
Town  Hall — a  stupid  square  braiding,  staring  as  an  official 
document.  Two  black  cannons  stood  on  either  side  of  the 
door.  Opposite  was  a  huge  shop  with  "  Commercial 
House "  written  across  the  second  story  in  gold  letters. 
Vulgar  carpets  and  coarse  goods  were  piled  about  the  door- 
way; and  from  these  two  houses  Piccadilly,  and  Broad 
Street,  its  continuation,  ran  down  an  incline,  and  Church 
Street  branched  off,  giving  the  town  the  appearance  of  a 
two-pronged  fork. 

All  was  red — generally  red  brick  turning  to  purple,  and 
it  blazed  under  a  blank  blue  sky.     No  spray  of  green  re- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  69 

lieved  the  implacaljle  perspectives,  no  aesthetic  intention 
broke  the  frigidity  of  the  remorseless  angles.  Wide  widths 
of  red  walls,  bald  rotundities  of  pottery  ovens,  iron,  and 
brick,  reigned  supreme;  before  them  nature  had  disap- 
peared, and  the  shrill  scream  of  the  steam-tram  as  it  rolled 
solemnly  up  the  incline  seemed  to  be  man's  cry  of  triumph 
over  vanquished  nature. 

After  looking  vacantly  about  him,  Mr.  Lennox  said, 
"  What  I  object  to  in  the  town  is  that  there's  nothing  to  do. 
And  it  is  so  blazing  hot ;  for  goodness  sake  let  us  get  under 
the  shadow  of  a  wall." 

Kate  smiled,  and  as  they  crossed  over  they  both  wiped 
their  faces. 

"  There  are  the  potteries,"  she  said,  referring  to  Mr. 
Lennox's  complaint  that  there  was  nothing  to  do  in  the 
town.  "  Everybody  that  comes  to  Hanley  goes  to  see  them ; 
but  the  best  are  in  Stoke." 

"  I  am  sure  I'm  not  going  to  Stoke  to  see  potteries,"  he 
answered  decisively,  "  but  if  there  are  any  in  Hanley  I  dare- 
say I  shall  turn  in  some  afternoon.  I  have  heard  some 
of  our  people  say  they  are  worth  seeing.  But,"  he  added, 
as  if  a  sudden  thought  had  struck  him,  "  I  might  go  now ;  I 
have  nothing  to  do  for  the  next  couple  of  hours.  How  far 
are  the  nearest  ?  " 

Kate  told  him  that  Powell  and  Jones's  works  were  close 
by  in  the  High  Street.  She  pointed  out  the  way,  but  fail- 
ing to  make  Mr.  Lennox  understand  her,  she  consented  to 
go  with  him.  Mr.  Lennox  pleaded  complete  ignorance. 
From  the  word  pottery  he  guessed  that  it  had  something 
to  do  with  pots  and  pans.  He  had  a  kind,  soft  manner  of 
speaking,  which  drew  her  towards  him  as  irresistibly  as  if 
he  had  taken  her  in  his  arms,  and  it  was  astonishing  how 
intimate  they  had  grown  in  the  last  few  minutes. 

"  It  doesn't  look  very  interesting^"  he  said,  as  they 
stopped  before  an  archway  and  looked  into  a  yard  filled  with 
straw  and  packing-cases. 

"Oh,  yes.  it  is;  but  you  must  see  the  different  rooms. 
You  must  go  up  to  the  office  and  ask  for  a  permission  to 
see  the  works." 


70  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  I'd  care  to  go  by  myself.  Won't  you 
come  with  me  ?  " 

Kate  hesitated,  for  suddenly  a  desire  to  see  the  old  places 
had  crept  into  her  mind.  She  had  very  little  to  do  at  home ; 
she  could  say  that  Mrs.  Barnes  had  kept  her  waiting. 

"  Do  come,"  he  said  after  a  jjause  during  which  he  looked 
at  her  eagerly. 

"  Well,  I  should  like  to  see  the  room  where  my  mother 
used  to  work,  but  we  mustn't  stop  too  long.  I  shall  be 
missed  at  home."  The  matter  being  so  arranged  they  en- 
tered the  yard,  and  Kate  pointed  out  a  rough  staircase 
placed  against  the  wall.  "  You  must  go  up  there,  the  office 
is  at  the  top;  ask  for  a  permission  to  see  the  works.  I'll 
wait  for  you  here." 

For  the  moment  she  was  glad  to  be  left  alone,  and  she 
looked  round  the  old  brick  yard  with  tenderness.  Half- 
a-dozen  men  were  packing  crockery  into  crates  with  spades. 
She  watched  them  wondering  how  it  was  they  did  not  break 
the  delf.  She  saw  herself  again  a  little  girl  running  with 
her  mother's  dinner  just  as  she  used  to  ten  years  ago. 

One  afternoon  she  remembered  particularly  well. 
Promising  to  be  very  good,  she  had  been  allowed  to  sit  by 
her  mother  and  watch  her  painting  flowers  that  wound  in 
and  out  and  all  about  a  big  blue  vase.  She  remembered 
how  she  was  reproved  for  peeping  over  her  neighbor's 
shoulder,  and  how  proud  she  felt  sitting  among  all  the 
workwomen.  She  could  recall  the  smell  of  the  paint  and 
turpentine,  and  her  bitter  grief  when  she  was  told  that  she 
should  not  learn  painting,  that  she  was  too  delicate,  and 
was  going  to  be  put  out  to  dressmaking.  But  now  that 
time  was  gone ;  her  mother  was  dead  and  she  was  married. 
Everything  was  changed  or  broken,  as  was  probably  that 
beautiful  vase.  It  astonished  Kate  to  find  herself  thinking 
of  these  things.  She  had  passed  the  High  Street  twenty 
times  within  the  last  six  months  without  it  even  occurring 
to  her  to  visit  the  old  places,  and  when  Mr.  Lennox  came 
back  he  noticed  that  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes.  He  made 
no  remark,  Init  hastily  explained  that  he  had  been  told 
that  there  was  a  party  just  that  minute  gone  on  in  front  of 
them  and  they  were  to  catch  them  up. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  71 

"  This  way,  then,"  she  said,  pointing  to  a  big  archway. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  run ;  don't  be  in  such  a  hurry,"  said  Mr. 
Lennox  panting. 

Kate  laughed  and  admitted  that  the  heat  was  terrific. 
Out  of  a  sky  burnt  almost  to  white  the  huge  glare  descended 
into  the  narrow  brick  yards.  The  packing  straw  seemed 
ready  to  catch  fire;  the  heaps  of  wet  clay,  which  two  boys 
were  shovelling,  smoked,  emitting  as  it  did  so  an  unpleasant 
wet  odor.  On  passing  the  archway  they  caught  sight  of 
three  black  frock  coats  and  three  black  shovel  hats. 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Kate,  stopping  disappointed,  "  we'll  have  to 
go  the  round  with  those  clergymen." 

"  What  does  that  matter  ?  It  will  be  amusing  to  listen 
to  them." 

"  But  mother  knows  all  of  them." 

"  Oh,  nonsense ;  they  must  be  strangers  in  the  town  or 
they  wouldn't  be  visiting  the  potteries." 

This  reassured  Kate,  and  they  joined  the  party.  The 
Dissenting  clergymen  looked  askance  at  Mr.  Lennox,  and 
the  guide  said,  as  he  showed  them  into  a  small  white  cell, 
"  You  are  in  plenty  of  time,  sir ;  these  are  the  snagger 
makers." 

Two  men  were  beating  a  heap  of  wet  clay  in  order  to 
insure  a  something  in  the  bakery  which  nobody  understood, 
but  which  the  guide  took  some  trouble  to  explain.  The 
clergymen  clustered  forward  to  listen.  Mr.  Lennox  wiped 
his  face,  and  they  were  then  hurried  into  a  second  cell, 
where  unbaked  dishes  were  piled  all  around  upon  shelves. 
It  was  said  to  be  the  dishmakers'  place,  and  was  followed 
by  another  and  another  room,  all,  Mr.  Lennox  thought, 
equally  hot  and  uninteresting.  He  strove  to  escape  from 
the  guide,  who  drew  him  through  the  line  of  clergymen 
and  remorselessly  explained  to  him  the  mysteries  of  earthen- 
ware. 

At  last  these  preliminary  departments  were  disposed  of, 
and  they  were  led  to  another  part  of  the  works.  On  their 
way  thither  they  passed  the  ovens.  These  were  scattered 
over  the  ground  like  bee-hives  in  a  garden.  Mr.  Lennox 
patted  their  round  sides  approvingly,  and  for  the  first  time 
showed  some  signs  of  interest.    He  said  they  reminded  him 


72  A  Mummer's  Wife 

of  oyster  boys  in  a  j^antomime,  and  he  declared  it  would 
not  be  a  bad  feature  to  introduce  into  the  next  Christmas 
show.  Kate  looked  wonderingly  at  her  friend.  She  could 
not  understand  how  he  could  think  of  such  things,  and  the 
clergymen  murmured  among  themselves. 

After  this  little  adventure  the  party  seemed  to  grow  more 
united,  and  in  the  printing-room  they  listened  to  all  that 
was  said.  The  guide  was  remarkably  discursive,  and  ap- 
parently considered  it  of  the  highest  importance  that  clergy- 
men, actor,  and  dressmaker  should  understand  the  dif- 
ferent processes  the  earthenware  had  to  pass  through  before 
it  was  placed  on  toilet  or  breakfast  table. 

They  were  now  in  a  long  lobby  with  big  rafters  overhead. 
Smoking  flannels  hung  on  lines  all  around,  and  the  sunlight 
poured  through  the  white  skylights.  Like  laundresses  at 
their  tubs,  four  or  five  women  washed  the  printed  paper 
from  the  plates.  In  one  corner  a  man  in  a  paper  cap  was 
bending  over  a  stove;  he  plastered  hot  brown  stuff  over 
metal  plates,  and,  apparently  dissatisfied  with  the  guide's 
explanation  of  his  work,  he  broke  out  into  a  voluminous 
flow  of  technical  details,  which  even  the  clergymen  failed 
to  follow.  At  the  other  end  of  this  vast  workroom  there 
v/as  a  line  of  young  girls  who  cut  the  printed  matter  out  of 
sheets  of  paper  with  marvellous  dexterity.  The  scissors  ran 
in  and  out  of  flowers,  tendrils,  and  little  birds  without 
ever  injuring  one.  Delighted,  the  clergymen  watch  the  pro- 
cess, while  Mr.  Lennox  got  behind  Kate  and  whispered  how 
he.  had  just  caught  the  tall  Dissenter  winking  at  the  dark 
girl  on  the  right.  The  truth  of  this  statement  did  not  con- 
cern Mr.  Lennox,  for  it  gave  him  a  pretext  for  breathing 
on  Kate's  neck,  a  lead  up  to  the  love-scene  which  he  had 
now  decided  was  to  come  off  on  the  first  occasion  that 
should  present  itself.  A  devilish  pretty  woman,  he  thought, 
and  he  continued  to  make  jokes  at  the  expense  of  the  three 
Dissenting  ministers,  who  walked  before  them  like  three 
black  turkeys. 

Having  passed  through  a  brick  alley  with  a  staircase  lead- 
ing to  a  platform  built  like  a  ship's  deck,  they  went  on 
through  a  series  of  rooms  until  they  came  to  a  place  almost 
as  hot  as  a  Turkish  bath.     Presses  filled  with  unbaked 


A  Mummer's  Wife  73 

plates  and  dishes  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  the 
wet  smell  of  the  clay  drying  in  steam  diffused  from  under- 
neath was  very  unpleasant.  It  caused  one  of  the  ministers 
to  cough  violently,  whereupon  the  guide  explained  that 
the  platemakers'  apartments  were  considered  the  most  un- 
healthy of  any  in  the  works ;  the  people  who  worked  there, 
ho  said,  usually  suffered  from  what  is  known  as  the  potter's 
asthma.  This  interested  Kate,  and  she  delayed  the  guide 
with  questions  as  to  how  the  potter's  asthma  differed  from 
the  ordinary  form  of  the  disease,  and  when  their  little  pro- 
cession was  again  put  in  motion  she  told  Mr.  Lennox  how 
her  husband  was  affected,  and  the  nights  she  had  spent 
watching  at  his  side.  But  although  Mr.  Lennox  listened 
attentively  she  could  not  help  thinking  that  he  seemed 
rather  glad  than  otherwise  that  her  husband  was  an  invalid. 
The  unkind  way  in  which  he  spoke  of  sick  people  shocked 
her,  and  she  opposed  the  opinion  that  a  person  in  bad 
health  was  a  disgusting  object. 

She  could  not  be  brought  to  agree  to  this  view.  In  dis- 
cussing the  question  they  lingered  behind,  and  Mr.  Len- 
nox profited  by  the  occasion  to  whisper  into  her  ears  that 
she  was  far  too  pretty  a  woman  for  an  asthmatic  husband ; 
and,  encouraged  by  her  blushes,  he  even  hazarded  a  few 
coarse  jokes  anent  the  poor  husband's  deficiencies.  He 
wanted  to  know  how  a  man  could  kiss  if  he  couldn't  breathe, 
for  if  there  was  a  time  when  breath  was  essential,  accord- 
ing to  him,  it  was  when  four  lips  meet. 

Kate  felt  frightened.  No  one  had  ever  spoken  to  her  in 
this  way  before,  and  she  did  not  really  know  what  Mr. 
Lennox  meant.  Had  she  known  how  to  do  so  she  would 
have  resented  his  familiarities,  but  his  good  humour  dis- 
armed her.  Once  their  hands  met.  The  contact  caused 
her  a  thrill,  and  she  put  aside  the  unbaked  plate  they  were 
examining. 

"  We  had  better  make  haste,"  she  said,  "  or  we  shall  lose 
them." 

The  next  two  rooms  were  considered  by  everybody  both 
amusing  and  instructive.  Even  the  three  clergymen  lost 
something  of  their  stolid  manner,  and  spoke  once  or  twice 
to  Mr.  Lennox.     They,  asked  him,  apropos  of  nothing,  his 


74  A  Mummer's  Wife 

opinion  concerning  the  religious  character  of  Hanley,  and 
if  he  were  of  their  persuasion. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Lennov,  affecting  a  comic 
innocence  which  he  hoped  would  tickle  Kate's  fancy. 

"  Oh,  we  are  Wesleyans,"  said  the  minister. 

"  And  I'm  an  actor ;  but  I  beg  your  pardon,  stage  manag- 
ing's  more  my  business." 

This  remark,  much  to  Mr.  Lennox's  satisfaction,  seemed 
to  thoroughly  horrify  the  three  black  turkeys,  and  leaving 
them  to  make  what  they  could  of  his  reply,  he  cast  a  vicious 
ogle  at  Kate,  and  drew  her  confidentially  forward  to  show 
her  how  jam-pots  were  made. 

An  old  man  sat  straddle-legged  on  a  high  narrow  table 
just  on  a  line  with  the  window.  He  was  covered  with 
clay;  his  forehead  and  beard  were  plastered  with  it.  Be- 
fore him  was  an  iron  plate,  kept  continually  whirling  by 
steam,  which  he  could  stop  by  a  pressure  of  his  foot.  Hold- 
ing a  lump  of  clay  with  both  hands,  he  squeezed  it  into  a 
long  shape  not  unlike  a  tall  ice,  then  forcing  it  down  into 
the  shape  of  a  batter-pudding  he  hallowed  it.  Eound  and 
round  went  the  clay,  the  hands  forming  it,  all  the  while 
cleaning  and  smoothing  until  it  came  out  a  true  and  perfect 
jam-pot,  even  to  the  little  furrow  round  the  top,  which 
was  given  by  a  movement  of  the  thumbs.  He  had  been  at 
work  since  seven  in  the  morning,  and  the  shelves  round 
him  were  encumbered  with  the  result  of  his  labors.  Every 
one  marvelled  at  the  old  creature's  dexterity  until  he  was 
forgotten  in  the  superior  attractions  of  the  succeeding  room. 
This  was  the  turning-house,  and  Mr.  Lennox  could  not  help 
laughing  outright,  so  amusing  did  the  scene  appear  to 
him.  Women  went  dancing  up  and  down  on  one  leg,  and 
at  such  regular  intervals  that  they  seemed  absolutely  like 
machines.  They  were  at  once  the  motive  power  and  the 
feeders  of  the  different  lathes.  It  was  they  who  handed 
the  men  lumps  of  dry  clay,  which  they  turned  into  shapes 
as  wood  might  be.  The  strangeness  of  the  spectacle  gave 
rise  to  much  comment.  The  clergymen  were  anxious  to 
know  if  the  constant  jigging  was  injurious  to  health.  Mr. 
Lennox  inquired  how  much  coin  they  made  by  their  one- 
legged  dancing,  and  he  spoke  in  high  terms  of  their  good 


A  Mummer's  Wife  'J'S 

looks.  This  led  him  easily  into  the  question  of  morals,  a 
subject  in  which  he  was  much  interested.  He  wanted  to 
know  if  this  crowding  together  of  the  sexes  could  be  effected 
without  danger.  Surely  cases  of  seduction  must  occur  occa- 
sionally. In  answering  him  the  guide  betrayed  a  certain 
reticence  of  manner  which  encouraged  Mr.  Lennox  to  harass 
him  with  inquiries.  Did  he  really  mean  to  say  that  nothing 
ever  happened ;  that  these  young  women  who  were  working 
all  day  side  by  side  with  people  of  the  other  sex  never, 
never  thought  of  anything  but  their  work  ?  The  word  work 
indicated  to  the  hotly  pressed  guide  his  way  of  escape,  and 
he  assured  Mr.  Lennox  that  there  was  no  time  to  think  of 
such  nonsense  in  the  factory,  and  anxious  to  vindicate  the 
honor  of  the  establishment,  he  declared  with  fervor  that  any 
who  took  the  smallest  liberty  with  any  female  would  be 
instantly  dismissed  from  the  works.  The  ministers,  al- 
though they  seemed  to  think  the  subject  might  have  been 
avoided,  listened  approvingly.  Kate  felt  a  little  embar- 
rassed, and  Mr.  Lennox  watched  a  big  blonde-haired  woman 
who  smiled  as  if  quite  ready,  notwithstanding  the  ludicrous 
bobbing  up  and  down  position  she  was  in,  to  get  up  a  flirta- 
tion. But  when  Kate  noticed  this,  with  a  courage  that 
surprised  herself,  she  cut  the  guide  short  by  proposing  that 
they  should  go  on. 

For  in  addition  to  the  annoyance  that  the  woman's  imper- 
tinence caused  her,  she  was  beginning  to  feel  uneasy  at  the 
time  she  had  been  away  from  home.  She  was  sure  that  Mrs. 
Ede  would  be  fretting  all  over  the  place,  and  she  could  well 
imagine  how  cross  Ealph  would  be  if  he  heard  of  it.  She 
felt  very  sorry  for  the  one,  and  a  little  resentful  towards 
the  other,  but  the  sentimental  desire  to  see  the  painting- 
room  where  her  mother  used  to  work  prevailed,  and  with 
her  heart  full  of  recollections  she  followed  the  party  to  the 
ovens. 

Their  way  hither  led  them  around  the  building,  and  they 
passed  through  many  workrooms.  These  were  generally 
clean,  airy  spaces,  with  big  rafters  and  whitewashed  walls. 
Sometimes  a  bunch  of  violets,  a  book,  or  a  newspaper  lying 
on  the  table,  suggested  an  absent  owner,  and  a  refined  coun- 
tenance was  instinctively  sought  for  in  the  different  groups 


76  A  Mummer's  Wife 

of  women.  There  was  also  a  difference  in  the  hats  and 
shawls,  and  it  was  easy  to  tell  which  belonged  to  the  young 
girls,  which  to  the  mothers  of  families.  Everyone  looked 
healthy  and  contented.  All  were,  as  Mr.  Lennox  continued 
to  assert,  nice-looking,  and  all  worked  industriously  at  their 
numberless  employments,  one  of  the  most  curious  of  which 
consisted  in  knocking  the  roughness  off  the  finished  earthen- 
ware. 

A  dozen  women  sat  in  a  circle;  above  them  and  around 
them  were  piles  of  dinner-services  of  all  kinds.  Each  held 
with  one  hand  a  piece  of  crockery  on  her  knees,  whilst  with 
a  chisel  she  chopped  away  at  it  as  if  it  could  not  by  any 
possibility  be  broken.  In  this  warehouse  the  noise,  as  may 
easily  be  imagined,  was  bewildering. 

Through  this  room  and  others,  up  and  down  many 
narrow  staircases,  the  visiting  party  went,  the  guide  lead- 
ing, the  three  black  clergymen  following,  Kate  lingering 
behind  with  Mr.  Lennox  until  they  came  to  the  ovens.  The 
entrance  was  from  an  immense  corridor,  prolonged  by 
shadow  and  divided  down  the  middle  by  presses  full  of  dry- 
ing earthenware,  the  smell  of  which  was  not.  however,  as 
strong  as  in  the  platemakers'  place,  and  the  difference  was 
noticed  by  the  clergyman  with  the  cough.  He  said  he  was 
not  affected  to  nearly  the  same  extent. 

At  long  distances  two  open  doors  allowed  a  double  stream 
of  light  to  enter,  and  a  loophole  far  away  placed  a  square 
of  white  in  the  vague  obscurity.  The  party  of  visitors  had 
from  time  to  time  to  give  way  to  men  who  marched  in 
single  file  carrying  what  seemed  to  be  huge  cheeses.  The 
guide  explained  that  within  these  were  cups,  saucers,  bowls, 
and  basins,  and  men  mounted  on  ladders  piled  these  yellow 
tubs  up  the  walls  of  the  ovens  like  honeycoml^s  in  a  hive. 
They  all  had  a  peep  up  the  huge  interior,  and  then  they 
visited  the  furnaces.  These  were  set  in  the  oven's  inner  shell, 
which  made  a  narrow  circular  passage  slanting  inwards 
as  it  ascended  like  the  neck  of  a  champagne  bottle.  The 
fires  glared  furiously,  and  suggested  many  impious  thoughts 
to  Mr.  Lennox.  The  three  black  turkeys  made  him  think 
of  devilled  bones,  and  he  proposed  to  ask  if  there  were  any 
warmer  corners  in  hell.     He  had  taken  advantage  of  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  77 

darkness  to  put  his  arm  round  Kate's  waist.  But  the  con- 
stant whispering  in  her  ear,  which  had  at  first  amused  her, 
now  irritated  and  annoyed  her;  other  emotions  filled  her 
mind  with  a  vague  tumult,  and  she  longed  to  be  left  to 
think  in  peace.  She  begged  of  him  to  keep  quiet.  Her 
heart  beat  with  suspense,  and  as  they  crossed  one  of  the 
yards  she  asked  the  guide  if  she  could  not  go  straight  to 
the  painting-room.  He  replied  that  there  was  a  regular 
order  to  be  observed,  and  insisted  on  marching  them 
through  two  rooms,  and  fully  explaining  three  or  four 
more  processes.  Then  after  begging  of  them  to  be  careful 
and  hold  the  rail,  he  led  them  up  a  high  rickety  staircase. 
The  warning  caused  Kate  a  thrill,  for  she  remembered  well 
the  orders  she  used  to  receive.  Every  step  of  this  staircase 
was  a  terror  to  her  mother. 

The  room  itself  however  proved  a  little  disappointing. 
Things  had  been  changed;  the  tables  were  not  arranged 
in  quite  the  same  way,  and  these  alterations  deprived  her  of 
the  emotions  she  had  expected.  Still  it  gave  her  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure  to  point  out  to  Mr.  Lennox  where  her 
mother  used  to  work. 

But  to  find  the  exact  spot  was  not  by  any  means  easy. 
There  were  upwards  of  a  hundred  young  women  sitting  on 
benches,  leaning  over  huge  tables  covered  with  unfinished 
pottery.  Each  held  in  her  hand  a  plate,  bowl,  or  vase,  on 
which  she  executed  some  design.  The  clergymen  showed 
more  interest  than  they  had  hitherto  done,  and  as  they 
leaned  to  and  fro  examining  the  work,  one  of  them  dis- 
covered the  something  Guardian,  a  Wesleyan  organ,  on  one 
of  the  tables,  and  hailing  his  fellows  they  all  three  hur- 
riedly proceeded  to  interview  the  proprietor.  But  the  guide 
said  they  had  to  visit  the  storerooms,  and  forced  them 
away  from  their  "  lamb." 

The  storerooms  were  wildernesses  of  white.  Eidges  of 
vases,  mounds  of  basins  and  jugs,  terraces  of  plates,  formed 
masses  of  sickly  white,  through  which  rays  of  light  were 
caught  and  sent  dancing  with  a  blinding  brilliancy.  Along 
the  wall  on  the  left-hand  side  presses  were  overcharged  with 
dusty  tea-services.  They  were  there  as  numerous  as  leaves 
in  a  forest.    On  the  right  were  square  gray  windows,  under 


78  A  Mummer's  Wife 

which  the  convex  sides  of  salad-bowls,  like  gigantic  snow- 
balls, sparkled  in  the  sun;  and  from  rafter  to  rafter,  in 
garlands  and  clusters  like  grapes,  hung  countless  mugs, 
gilded,  and  bearing  a  device  suitable  for  children.  Down 
the  middle  of  the  floor  a  terrace  was  built  of  dinner-plates, 
the  edges  burnished  with  light,  the  rest  being  in  gray  tint. 

Two  rooms  away  a  huge  mound  of  chamber-pots  formed 
an  astonishing  background,  and  against  all  this  white  efface- 
ment  the  men  who  stood  on  high  ladders  dusting  the  crock- 
cry  came  out  like  strange  black  climbing  insects. 

The  clergymen  said  it  was  very  interesting,  and  the  guide 
explained,  just  as  he  did  everything  else,  the  system  of 
storing  employed  by  the  firm;  how  the  crockery 
was  packed,  and  how  the  men  would  soon  be  working 
only  three  days  a  week  on  account  of  the  American  tariif. 
But  he  was  not  much  listened  to.  Everyone  was  now  tired, 
and  the  clergymen  who  since  the  discovery  of  the  news- 
paper had  been  showing  signs  that  they  regarded  their 
visit  to  the  potteries  as  effected,  pulled  out  their  watches 
and  whispered  mysteriously  that  their  time  was  up.  It  was 
vain  to  tell  them  that  there  were  only  a  few  more  rooms 
to  visit ;  they  declared  that  they  must  be  off,  and  demanded 
to  be  conducted  to  the  door.  This  request  was  an  embar- 
rassing one.  It  was  against  the  rules  ever  to  leave  visitors 
when  going  the  rounds.  The  guide  had,  therefore,  either 
to  conduct  the  whole  party  to  the  door,  or  transgress  his 
orders.  After  a  slight  hesitation,  influenced  no  doubt  by  a 
conversation  he  had  had  with  Mr.  Lennox,  in  which  mention 
was  made  of  tickets  for  the  theatre,  ho  decided  to  take  the  re- 
sponsibility on  himself,  and  asked  that  gentleman  if  he 
would  mind  waiting  a  few  minutes  with  his  lady  while  the 
religious  gentlemen  were  being  shown  the  way  out.  Mr. 
Lennox  assented  with  readiness  to  this  arrangement,  and  the 
three  black  figures  and  the  guide  disappeared  a  moment 
after  liehind  the  bedroom  utensils.  After  an  anxious  glance 
round,  Mr.  Lennox  looked  at  Kate.  As  she  gathered  to 
herself  all  the  remembrances  that  the  place  had  evoked, 
her  manner  grew  more  and  more  abandoned.  She  knew 
the  room  she  was  in  well.  Through  it  she  used  to  pass  daily 
with  her  mother's  dinner,  and  she  remembered  how  in  her 


A  Mummer's  Wife  79 

diildliood  she  wondered  how  big  the  world  must  be  to  hold 
enough  people  to  use  such  thousands  of  cups  and  saucers. 
All  the  half-forgotten  fancies  of  infancy  came  trooping  back 
to  her  in  a  succession  as  regular  as  the  crockery  on  the 
wall.  There  used  to  be  a  blue  tea-service  in  the  far  corner, 
and  she  remembered  that  it  had  been  once  her  greatest  am- 
bition to  possess  it;  she  had  often  lingered  to  imagine  a  suit- 
able parlor  for  it,  then  she  used  to  see  herself  pouring  out 
a  dream  husband's  tea.  There  was  a  similar  tea-service 
there  now,  but  it  was  only  the  mocking  ghost  of  the  other. 
Little  by  little  she  remembered  everything.  One  day  she 
had  torn  her  frock  coming  up  the  stairs,  and  was  terribly 
scolded;  another  time  Mr.  Powell,  attracted  by  her  black 
curls,  had  stopped  to  speak  to  her,  and  he  had  given  her 
as  a  present  one  of  the  children's  mugs — one  exactly  like 
those  hanging  over  her  head.  She  had  treasured  it  a  long 
time,  but  it  at  last  was  broken.  It  seemed  that  all  things 
belonging  to  her  had  to  be  broken ;  her  dreams  were  made  in 
crockery. 

But  as  Kate  looked  into  the  past  she  became  gradually 
conscious  of  a  voice  whispering  to  her. 

At  first  her  thoughts  were  so  far  away  that  the  presence 
of  the  man  next  to  her  was  only  felt  remotely,  and  his 
words,  referring  as  they  did  to  the  charms  of  memory, 
did  not  for  some  time  break  the  thread  of  her  reverie.  See- 
ing what  was  her  mind's  mood,  ]\Ir.  Lennox  strove  to  adapt 
himself  to  it. 

"  How  strangely  things  do  pass  away ;  life  is  only  a 
dream  when  we  think  of  it.  And  how  odd  it  is  that  you 
should  never  have  thought  of  revisiting  this  place  until  you 
met  me." 

Commonplace  as  these  words  were,  they  caused  Kate's 
soul  to  rise  to  her  lips,  and  she  lifted  her  eyes,  liquid  with 
love,  to  Mr.  Lennox's.  The  look  he  considered  as  arriv- 
ing quite  apropos,  for  he  felt  that  he  could  not  manage 
another  phrase  like  the  last,  and  anxious  to  come  to  the 
point,  he  turned  to  see  if  they  were  watched.  There  was 
no  one  within  twenty  yards  of  them;  where  they  were  all 
was  still.    At  their  feet  a  pile  of  plates  and  teacups  slept  in 


80  A  Mummer's  Wife 

a  broad  flood  of  sunlight,  and  the  boys  on  the  high  ladder 
dusted  the  mugs  three  rooms  away. 

"  And  what  a  pretty  child  you  must  have  been.  I  can 
fancy  you  with  your  black  hair  falling  about  your  shoulders. 
Had  I  known  you  then  I  should  have  taken  you  in  my  arms 
and  kissed  you.  Do  you  think  you  would  have  liked  me 
to  have  kissed  you  ?  "  he  said,  laughing  just  a  little  coarsely, 
for  sentiment  was  not  his  forte. 

But  Kate  knew  nothing  of  this,  and  so  moved  was  she 
that  she  had  neither  the  will  nor  the  sensation  of  what  she 
did.  She  raised  her  eyes  again,  and  a  vague  feeling  of  how 
nice,  how  kind  he  was,  rushed  through  her. 

Perceiving  his  advantage,  Mr.  Lennox  affected  to  examine 
a  ring  on  her  finger.  The  warm  pressure  of  his  hand 
caused  her  to  start,  and  she  would  have  put  him  from  her, 
but  his  voice  calmed  her. 

"  Ah !  "  he  said,  "  had  I  known  you  then,  I  should  have 
been  awfully  in  love  with  you." 

Kate  closed  her  eyes,  and  for  a  moment  abandoned  her- 
self to  an  ineffable  sentiment  of  weakness  and  ravishment ; 
and  then  imagining  that  it  was  all  right,  Mr.  Lennox  took 
her  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her  rudely  and  lasciviously. 

But  at  the  first  movement  of  his  arms,  at  the  first  con- 
tact of  his  lips,  quick,  angry  thoughts  rushed  to  her  head, 
and  ol:)eying  an  impulse  in  contradiction  to  her  desire  she 
cast  him  oif. 

"  Oh,  what  a  shame  !  what  right  had  he  ?  what  a  l)east !  " 
were  the  words  that  occurred  to  her;  and  shaking  herself 
free,  she  looked  at  him,  vexed  and  humiliated. 

This  unexpected  rebuff  seemed  to  mortify  Mr.  Lennox 
not  a  little,  and  he  attempted  to  soothe  Kate  by  a  little 
jocularity. 

"  Oil !  how  very  cross  we  are ;  and  al)Out  a  kiss,  just  a 
tiny,  wee  kiss." 

Kate  did  not  answer.  She  stood  staring  at  him,  only 
half  hearing  what  he  said,  and  irritated  against  him  and 
herself.  The  substance  of  her  thoughts  was  a  painful  regret 
that  he  had  thus  brutally  disturbed  the  calm  depth  of  hap- 
piness which  she  had  been  enjoying. 

"  I'm  sure  I  didn't  mean  to  offend  you,"  he  continued 


A  Mummer's  Wife  81 

after  a  pause,  for  Kate's  manner  puzzled  him ;  "  I  love  you 
too  well." 

"  Love  me  ?  "  she  cried,  astonished,  but  with  nevertheless 
a  tone  of  interrogation  in  her  voice.  "  Why,  you  never  saw 
me  till  the  other  day." 

"  I  loved  you  the  first  moment — I  assure  you  I  did." 

Kate  looked  at  him  softly,  as  imploring  of  him  not  to 
deceive  her.  There  was  in  his  big  blue  eyes  an  honest 
frankness,  and  his  face  said  as  clearly  as  words,  "  I  think 
you  a  deuced  pretty  woman,  and  I'm  sure  I  could  love  you 
very  much,"  and  recognizing  this  Kate  remained  silent. 

Thus  encouraged,  Mr.  Lennox  attempted  to  renew  his 
intentions.  But  actions  have  to  be  prefaced  by  words,  and 
he  commenced  by  declaring  as  passionately  as  he  could. 
"  That  when  a  man  would  give  the  whole  world  for  a  kiss, 
it  was  not  to  be  expected  that — " 

Here  words  began  to  fail  him,  and  he  strove  to  think 
of  the  famous  love  scene  in  The  Lady  of  Lyons.  But  it  was 
years  since  he  had  played  the  part,  and  he  could  only  mur- 
mur something  about  reading  no  books  but  lovers'  books, 
singing  no  songs  but  lovers'  songs.  Further  he  could  not 
get,  and  remembering  that  the  guide  would  be  back  in  a 
few  minutes,  and  inspired  by  Kate's  pale  face,  he  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  absurd  to  let  her  go  without 
kissing  her  properly. 

He  was  a  strong  man,  but  Kate  had  now  really  lost  her 
temper,  and  determined  that  he  should  not  gain  his  end, 
she  struggled  vigorously.  He  had  taken  her  in  his  arms, 
but  she  writhed  with  determination,  and  tried  to  tear  his 
face.  Three  times  his  lips  had  rested  on  her  cheek,  once 
he  had  kissed  her  chin,  but  as  he  attempted  to  close  her 
mouth  she  managed  to  twist  her  face  away.  It  was  certainly 
difficult  to  hold  her,  and  in  his  excitement,  not  liking  to 
be  beaten,  he  lost  sight  of  everything  but  the  immediate 
end  in  view.  Kate,  too,  had  sworn  to  herself  that  he  should 
not  get  her  lips,  and  she  fought  with  the  tenacity  of  a  bull- 
dog. Staggering  backwards,  she  placed  one  hand  on  his 
throat,  and  with  the  other  strove  to  catch  at  his  moustache ; 
she  had  given  it  a  wrench  that  had  brought  tears  into  his 
eyes,  but  now  he  was  pinioning  her,  and  she  could  feel  his 
6 


82  A  Mummer's  Wife 

breath  upon  hor  check,  and  see  his  big  face  approaching. 
Summoning  up  all  her  strength  she  strove  to  get  away,  but 
that  moment,  happening  to  tread  on  her  skirt,  her  feet 
slipped.  He  made  a  desperate  effort  to  sustain  her,  but  her 
legs  had  gone  between  his,  and  a  fall  was  imminent. 

The  crash  was  tremendous.  A  pile  of  plates  three  feet 
high  was  sent  spinning,  a  row  of  salad-bowls  was  kicked 
over,  and  then  with  a  heavy  stagger  Mr.  Lennox  went  over 
and  into  a  dinner-service,  the  soup-tureen  of  which  rolled 
gravely  into  the  next  room. 

In  an  instant  half-a-dozen  people  were  around  them.  A 
feeling  at  first  prevailed  that  some  serious  accident  had 
happened,  but  when  Kate  rose  pale  and  trembling  from  the 
debris  of  a  bedroom  set,  and  Mr.  Lennox  was  lifted  out  of 
the  dinner-service  with  nothing  apparently  worse  than  a 
cut  hand,  there  was  heard  a  murmur  of  voices  asking  the 
cause  of  the  disaster.  But  before  a  word  could  be  said  the 
guide  came  running  towards  them.  He  declared  that  he 
would  lose  his  place,  and  spoke  vaguely  to  those  around 
him  of  the  necessity  of  suppressing  the  fact  that  he  had  left 
visitors  alone  in  the  storerooms. 

Mr.  Lennox,  on  the  other  hand,  was  very  silent.  He  had 
evidently  received  some  bad  cuts  of  which  he  did  not  speak. 
He  put  his  hand  to  his  legs  and  felt  them  doubtfully.  There 
was  a  large  gash  in  his  right  hand,  from  which  he  picked  % 
piece  of  delf,  and  as  he  tied  the  wound  up  with  a  pocket- 
handkerchief  he  partly  quieted  the  expostulating  guide  jpy 
assuring  him  that  everything  would  be  paid  for.  Then, 
taking  Kate's  arm,  he  hobbled  out  of  the  place. 

The  suddenness  and  excitement  of  the  accident  had  for 
the  moment  quenched  her  angry  feelings,  and  now,  over- 
whelmed with'  pity  for  the  poor  wounded  hand,  she  thought 
of  nothing  but  getting  him  to  a  doctor.  Indeed,  it  was  not 
until  she  heard  him  telling  Mr.  Powell  in  the  office  that  he 
was  subject  to  fits,  and  that  in  striving  to  hold  him  up  the 
lady  had  fallen  too,  that  she  remembered  how  he  had  be- 
haved, how  he  had  disgraced  her.  But  her  mouth  was 
closed,  and  she  listened  in  mute  amazement  to  him  as  he 
invented  detail  after  detail  with  surprising  dexterity.  He 
did  not  even  hesitate  to  call  in  the  evidence  of  the  guide, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  83 

who  in  his  own  interests,  was  obliged  to  assent ;  and  when 
Mr.  Powell  inquired  after  the  three  clergymen,  Mr.  Len- 
nox at  once  declared  that  they  had  left  them  in  the  yard 
after  visiting  the  ovens.  To  Kate,  who  from  her  childhood 
had  lived  between  lines  so  narrow  that  a  lie  was  almost  an 
impossibility,  this  wreath  of  falsehood  was  positively  be- 
wildering ;  and  so  ingeniously  did  Mr.  Lennox  dovetail  his 
statements  that  in  her  astonishment  for  his  ingenuity,  and 
gratitude  for  getting  her  out  of  the  difficulty,  she  almost 
forgave  him  his  wrongdoings. 

Mr.  Powell  was  very  kind ;  he  listened  with  a  look  of  pity 
on  his  face,  told  an  anecdote  of  a  poor  brother  of  his  who  was 
likewise  subject  to  fits,  and  possibly  influenced  by  the  re- 
membrance, refused  to  receive  any  remuneration  for  the 
broken  crockery.  In  a  firm  like  theirs  a  few  plates  more  or 
less  was  of  no  importance. 

This  being  settled,  Mr.  Lennox  inquired  the  way  to  the 
doctor's  and  hobbled  away,  leaving  a  little  pool  of  blood  on 
the  floor  of  the  office.  He  looked  very  pale,  and  Kate 
feared  that  he  was  going  to  faint.  She  had  to  lend  him 
her  handkerchief — his  was  now  saturated — to  tie  round  his 
hand,  and  he  confessed  to  her  that  he  had  got  a  bad  cut  in 
the  leg,  and  could  feel  the  blood  trickling  down  into  his 
boot. 

"  I  must  get  off  now,  my  dear ;  a  bit  of  sticking-plaster  is 
all  I  want.    What  a  crash  there  was ;  I  shall  never  forget  it." 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  was  terrible ;  but  do  go  at  once,"  said  Kate, 
laying  her  hands  on  his  arm.  "  Oh,  do  let  me  send  for  a 
carriage."  It  was  astonishing  how  intimate  the  accident 
had  rendered  them.  As  they  spoke  in  the  street  a  passer-by 
would  have  taken  them  for  husband  and  wife. 

"  It  isn't  worth  while ;  I'll  be  round  at  the  doctor's  in  a 
minute.  They  tell  me  there  is  one  round  the  corner  in 
Church  Street.    Which  is  the  way  ?  " 

"  Oh,  take  the  first  turn  to  the  right,  and  you  are  in  it; 
but  do  go." 

"  I  assure  you  it  is  nothing ;  I'll  be  able  to  go  on  to-night ; 
I'll  make  a  bit  of  effect  out  of  my  limp.  But  how  strong 
you  are ;  you're  like  a  lion.  But  you  mustn't  struggle  like 
that  next  time." 


84  A  Mummer's  Wife 

At  the  suggestion  that  there  was  going  to  he  a  next  time, 
Kate's  face  clouded,  but  she  was  so  alarmed  for  his  safety 
that  it  was  only  momentarily.  She  had  hardly  noticed  that 
he  called  her  "  dear.'^  He  used  the  word  so  naturally  and 
simply  that  it  touched  her  with  swift  pleasure,  and  was  as 
soon  lost  in  a  crowd  of  conflicting  emotions. 

The  man  was  coarse,  large,  sensual,  even  as  is  a  mutton 
chop.  But  each  movement  of  his  fat  hands  was  protective, 
every  word  he  uttered  was  kind,  the  very  intonation  of  his 
voice  was  comforting.  He  was  in  a  word,  human,  and  this 
attracted  all  that  was  human  in  you.  The  intelligence 
counted  for  nothing ;  his  charm  lay  in  his  humanity. 


CHAPTER   V. 

N  leaving  Mr.  Lennox,  Kate  walked  slowly  along 
the  streets,  trying  vainly  to  arrange  her  thoughts, 
striving  to  arrive  at  a  distinct  notion  of  what  had 
happened.  But  the  events  of  the  day  were  so 
utterly  outside  her  experience  that  she  could  form  no  just 
conception  of  what  they  foreshadowed,  of  what  they  would 
bring.  She  was  conscious  only  of  a  huge  blotting  out  and 
a  misty  sensation  of  present  happiness. 

Interested  vaguely  in  everything,  she  basked  in  the 
warmth  of  her  thoughts  like  a  beggar  in  the  sun.  Things 
she  had  seen  a  thousand  times  before  struck  her  in  a  pecu- 
liarly new  light.  A  pair  of  dummy  spectacles  over  an  opti- 
cian's shop  caused  her  to  smile;  she  could  not  but  help 
thinking  that  they  were  hardly  too  large  for  Mr.  Lennox's 
eyes.  A  flock  of  pigeons  strutting  between  the  legs  of  some 
cab-horses  awoke  emotions  which  she  could  not  explain. 
An  extraordinary  curiosity  seemed  to  have  been  suddenly 
developed  in  her.  She  wondered  who  were  the  people  who 
passed  her  in  the  streets,  where  they  were  going,  what  were 
their  occupations.  Her  thoughts,  generally  so  shadowy, 
were  concentrated,  and  took  an  active  and  minute  notice  of 
the  most  trivial  things.  The  whole  attitude  of  her  mind 
was  changed.  Three  hours  ago  she  gazed  at  the  wide  hills 
and  dreamed  of  the  earliest  years  of  her  life;  now  her 
thoughts  did  not  rove  beyond  the  present  hour.  Subjec- 
tively, nothing  was  clear;  a  veil  hung,  as  it  were,  between 
her  and  herself;  objectively,  everything  was  distinct  as  if 
seen  in  a  crystal.  She  could  recall  each  word  he  said,  could 
feel  his  breath  on  her  cheek ;  see  his  blue  eyes  looking  into 
hers;  but  they  no  longer  frightened  her.  She  dreamed  of 
them  placidly  and  with  a  strange  lucidity.  Being  a  child  of 
the  people,  his  brutality  had  not  impressed  itself  on  her, 
and  every  now  and  then  she  murmured  to  herself,  "  Poor 
fellow,  what  a  fall  he  had ;  I  hope  he  didn't  hurt  himself." 


86  A  Mummer's  Wife 

The  shock  she  had  received  had  acted  upon  her  like  a 
strong  spirit.  By  turns  she  thought  of  things  totally  dif- 
ferent— of  Miss  Hender,  of  the  little  girls,  who  would  re- 
gret her  absence  from  the  workroom.  Their  affection  was 
very  dear  to  her,  and  she  now  suddenly  wished  they  were 
her  own  children.  The  wish  was  only  momentary,  but  it 
was  the  first  time  the  desire  for  motherhood  had  ever 
troubled  her. 

It  amused  her  to  think  of  their  smiling  faces,  and  to 
make  sure  of  their  smiles  she  entered  a  shop  and  bought  a 
small  packet  of  sweet-stuff,  and  with  the  paper  in  her  hand 
continued  her  walk  home.  The  cheap  prints  in  a  newspaper 
shop  delayed  her,  and  the  workmen  who  were  tearing  up 
the  road  forced  her  to  consider  how  a  suspension  of  traffic 
would  interfere  with  her  business.  She  was  now  in  Broad 
Street ;  and  when  she  raised  her  eyes  she  saw  her  own  house. 
It  w^as  quite  a  new  building.  High  and  narrow,  it  stood  in 
the  main  street  at  the  corner  of  a  lane,  and  so  much  was  it  a 
corner  house  that  the  curve  of  the  pavement  exactly  echoed 
the  arch  of  the  doorway.  The  ground-floor  windows  were 
completely  curtained  by  light  goods ;  men's  shirts  hung  four 
on  a  wire,  underneath  were  some  black  hats  with  feathers. 
There  were  also  children's  dresses,  and  a  few  print  neckties 
trimmed  with  white  lace. 

As  she  entered  the  shop  Mrs.  Ede,  who  was  in  the  front 
kitchen,  cried,  "  Well,  is  that  you,  Kate  ?  Where  have  you 
been  ?  I  waited  dinner  an  hour  for  you ;  and  how  tired  you 
look !  " 

In  her  present  state  of  mind  Mrs.  Ede,  with  her  loud 
questioning,  was  the  last  person  Kate  would  have  cared  to 
meet. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  my  dear;  are  you  unwell  ?  Shall 
I  get  you  a  glass  of  water?  " 

"  Oh  no,  mother;  I'm  all  right.  Can't  you  see  that  I'm 
only  very  hot?  " 

"  But  where  have  you  been  to?  I  have  waited  dinner 
an  hour  for  you.     Why,  it's  past  two  o'clock!  " 

Kate  did  not  know  how  to  account  for  her  absence  from 
home.  Words  rose  to  her  lips  to  tell  Mrs.  Ede  to  mind 
her  own  business;  but  the  feeling  that  she  had  been  doing 


A  Mummer's  Wife  87 

wrong  turned  her  irritability  to  cowardice,  and  after  a 
pause  she  answered,  thinking  of  Mr.  Lennox  as  she  spoke, 
"  Mrs.  Barnes  kept  me  waiting  above  an  hour  trying  her 
dress  on,  and  then  I  was  so  done  up  with  night-watching 
and  sewing  that  I  thought  I'd  go  for  a  walk." 

Nothing  Mrs.  Ede  dreaded  so  much  as  anything  ap- 
proaching to  a  quarrel  with  Kate.  So  at  once,  and  in 
hurried  words,  she  proceeded  to  assure  her  that  she 
couldn't  have  done  better;  that  a  good  long  walk  was  just 
what  was  required  to  set  her  up.  "  The  only  thing  is, 
my  dear,  you  shouldn't  remain  out  in  such  a  sun  as  this; 
you  might  have  got  a  sunstroke." 

Kate  wearily  wiped  her  hot  face,  and  without  acknowl- 
edging the  advice  tendered,  said  abruptly,  "  Have  you  done 
any  business  to-day?  Have  many  people  been  in  the 
shop?" 

"  Well,  yes,  half-a-dozen  or  more;  and  I  sold  the  rest  of 
those  aprons." 

Then  she  proceeded  to  recount  the  different  events  of 
the  morning.  It  was  Mrs.  White  who  had  bought  one  of 
the  aprons,  and  she  had  said  that  she  had  not  seen  the 
pattern  before;  a  stranger  had  taken  another;  and  Miss 
Sargent  had  called,  and  she  wanted  to  know  how  much  it 
would  cost  to  make  her  blue  dress. 

"  Oh !  I  know ;  she  wants  me  to  re-line  the  skirt  and  put 
new  trimming  on  the  body  for  seven  and  sixpence ;  we  can 
do  without  her  custom.     And  then  ?  " 

"  And  then — ah !  I  was  forgetting — Mrs  West  came  in  to 
tell  us  that  her  friend  Mrs.  Wood,  the  bookseller's  wife, 
you  know,  up  the  street,  was  going  to  be  confined,  and 
would  want  some  baby-linen,  and  she  recommended  her 
here." 

"  Did  you  see  nobody  else  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  a  young  man  who  bought  half-a-dozen 
pocket-handkerchiefs.  I  let  him  have  the  half-dozen  for 
four  shillings;  and  I  sold  a  pink  necktie  to  one  of  the 
factory  hands  over  the  way." 

"  Why,  mother,  you  have  done  a  deal  of  business,  and 
I'm  glad  about  the  baby-linen.  We  have  a  lot  in  stock, 
and  it  hasn't  gone  off  well.     I  don't  know  Mrs.  Wood, 


88  A  Mummer's  Wife 

but  it  was  very  kind  of  Mrs.  West  to  recoinlneiid  us;  and 
Miss  Render,  how  has  she  been  getting  on  with  the  skirt? 
You  know  I  promised  it  by  Friday  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  must  say  she  has  been  working  very  well;  she 
was  here  at  half-past  eight,  and  she  did  not  stop  away 
above  three-quarters  of  an  hour  for  dinner." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  I  was  never  so  backward  in  my 
life  with  my  work,  what  with  Ralph  being  ill  and  Mr. " 

Kate  tried  to  stop  herself.  The  conversation  had  so 
far  been  an  agreeable  one,  and  she  did  not  wish  to  spoil 
it  by  alluding  to  a  subject  on  which  there  was  no  likeli- 
hood of  their  agreeing. 

But  Mrs.  Ede  had  anticipated  the  hated  name  of  Len- 
nox. Her  face  clouded  instantly,  and  she  said,  "  Yes,  I 
wanted  to  talk  to  you  about  that.  Mr.  Lennox  has  not 
sent  anyone  to  take  away  his  things,  and  he  did  not  even 
speak  to  me  when  I  took  him  up  his  breakfast  this  morn- 
ing." 

For  the  last  five  years  Kate  had  lived  inertly,  glad  to 
shirk  all  responsibility,  delighted  to  leave  the  control  of 
the  house  in  her  mother-in-law's  hands,  contented  to  work 
hard  without  thinking  of  a  result.  But  the  quarrels  that 
had  preceded  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Lennox  had  awakened 
her  to  a  sense  of  her  position,  and  this  sentiment,  now 
strengthened  by  her  present  liking  for  the  man,  deter- 
mined her  to  assert  her  authority. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  Mr.  Lennox  is  leaving  us,"  she 
said  after  a  pause.  "  I  thought  it  was  arranged  last  night 
that  he  was  to  be  told  that  he  must  not  bring  friends  after 
eleven  o'clock  at  night.  When  I  see  him  ril  speak  to  him 
about  it." 

And  resolved  to  take  the  situation  at  one  stroke,  Kate 
walked  haughtily  into  the  kitchen  and  sat  down  to  her 
dinner.  Mrs.  Ede,  although  quite  ready  to  make  a  pro- 
fession of  her  opinion  when  the  occasion  offered,  followed 
with  a  dog-like  look  of  affection  on  her  face;  and  though 
fearing  to  lose  the  advantage  gained,  Kate  entered  into 
an  explanation  with  a  view  of  soothing  the  old  woman's 
feelings.  This  done  she  went  upstairs  to  see  Ealph,  whom 
Mrs.  Ede  declared  to  be  very  much  better.     On  passing 


A  Mummer's  Wife  89 

the  workroom  the  door  opened  suddenly,  and  the  "bright 
faces  of  the  little  girls  darted  out. 

"  Oh !  is  that  you,  Mrs.  Ede.  How  we  have  missed  you 
all  the  morning,"  cried  Annie  joyously. 

"  And  Miss  Hender  has  been  so  busy  that  she  has  to  get 
me  to  help  her  with  the  skirt,  and  I  did  a  great  long  piece 
myself  without  a  mistake.     Did  I  not.  Miss  Hender?" 

"  I  am  going  up  to  see  my  husband,"  said  Kate  smiling, 
"  but  I  shall  be  down  presently,  and  I  have  bought  some- 
thing for  you." 

"  Oh!  what  is  it?  "  cried  Annie  excitedly. 

"  You  shall  see  presently." 

Ealph  was  lying  still  in  bed:  he  was  propped  up  in  his 
usual  attitude,  with  his  legs  tucked  under  him.  The  room 
smelt  very  bad. 

"  Don't  you  think  we  might  oj)en  something?  "  she  said, 
as  she  sat  down  by  the  bedside;  "  and  your  sheets  want 
changing,  too." 

"  Oh,  if  you  have  only  come  in  to  turn  everything  up- 
side dov/n  you  might  as  well  have  stayed  away." 

"  It  is  very  unkind  of  you  to  speak  like  that,  EaljDh; 
you  know  that — " 

"I  know  that  very  well,  but  leave  me  alone;  don't  you 
see  I  can't  breathe?  " 

"  I  think  you  are  better,"  said  Kate,  mollified  by  the 
excuse;  "but  wouldn't  it  do  you  good  to  change  the  air 
sometimes?  " 

"  No,  no;  on  the  contrary,  the  great  thing  is  not  to 
change  it.  I  don't  notice  any  smell.  It  is  only  because 
you  have  come  out  of  the  street." 

Accepting  this  explanation  as  a  possible  one,  Kate  ex- 
amined her  husband  attentively.  His  face  was  a  dead 
white,  and  his  eyes  were  dark,  hollow  cavities.  With  a 
weak,  trembling  hand  he  pushed  the  thick  hair  off  his 
forehead,  and  he  spoke  with  difficulty  and  in  a  thin 
wheeze.  There  was  no  doubt,  however,  that  he  was  bet- 
ter. The  dreadful  dyspnoea  was  fast  leaving  him,  and 
when  he  had  recovered  from  the  prostration  caused  by  it 
he  would  be  well. 

"  I  think  the  pills  did  me  good  last  night,"  he  said  after 


90  A  Mummer's  Wife 

a  pause;  and  then  added,  laughing  as  much  as  his  breath 
would  allow  him,  ''  and  what  a  rage  mother  was  in.  But 
tell  me,  what  were  they  doing  downstairs?  Were  there 
any  ladies  there?     I  was  too  bad  to  think  of  anything," 

"  Yes,  there  were  some  of  the  ladies  of  tlie  theatre 
there,"  said  Kate  severely;  "  but  I  don't  think  that  mother 
had  a  right  to  kick  up  the  row  she  did." 

"  And  it  just  came  in  upon  her  prayers,"  said  Ralph, 
smiling  laboriously. 

Although  crossgrained  and  passionate,  Mr.  Ede  was  not 
always  an  unpleasant  man.  He  had  a  sense  of  dry  humor, 
and  often,  in  sudden  flashes  of  affection,  the  kind  heart 
of  his  mother  was  recognizable. 

"  You  mustn't  laugh,  Ilalph,"  said  Kate,  looking  aside, 
for  the  comic  side  of  the  question  had  suddenly  dawned 
upon  her. 

Their  hilarity  was,  however,  of  not  long  endurance. 
Poor  Mr.  Ede  was  seized  with  a  violent  fit  of  coughing, 
and  when  this  was  over  he  lay  back  exhausted.  At  last 
he  said: 

"But  where  have  you  been  all  day?  We  have  been 
wondering  what  had  become  of  you." 

The  question,  although  not  put  unkindly,  caused  Kate 
a  feeling  of  annoyance.  "  One  would  think  I  had  come 
back  from  a  long  Journey,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  It  is 
just  as  Miss  Hender  says,  if  I'm  out  half  an  hour  more 
than  my  time  every  one  is,  as  they  say,  '  wondering  what 
has  become  of  me.' "  Assuming,  however,  an  air  of  in- 
difference, she  told  him  that  Mrs.  Barnes  had  kept  her 
an  immense  while,  and  that  she  had  gone  for  a  walk. 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  he  said.  "  You  wanted  a  walk 
after  being  shut  up  with  me  three  nights  running.  And 
what  a  time  you  must  have  had  of  it!  But  tell  me  what 
you  have  been  doing  in  the  shop." 

In  brief  phrases  Kate,  in  pity  for  his  foolish  jealousy, 
made  light  of  the  morning  sales,  for  to  be  ill  while  busi- 
ness had  been  brisk  Mr.  Ede  regarded  as  the  cruellest 
misfortune  that  could  have  happened  to  him. 

"And  you  really  did  sell  all  the  aprons?  I  knew  they 
would  go.     I  told  you  so,  didn't  I?  "  he  said. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  91 

"You  did,  dear,"  said  Kate,  seeking  to  satisfy  him; 
"but  3'ou  must  not  talk  so  much;  you'll  make  yourself 
bad  again." 

"  But  are  you  going?  " 

"  I've  been  out  so  long  that  I  have  a  lot  to  do;  but  I'll 
come  back  and  see  you  in  the  evening." 

"  Well,  then,  kiss  me  before  you  go." 

Kate  bent  her  head,  and  as  she  did  so  the  image  of  Mr. 
Lennox  arose  before  her  with  a  singular  distinctness:  she 
remembered  how  he  had  struggled  to  obtain  what  she  was 
now  giving  as  a  matter  of  course.  It  appeared  strange  to 
her  that  it  should  be  so :  but  she  had  always  complied  with 
the  ordinances  of  the  marriage  state  without  passion  or  re- 
volt. Now  for  the  first  time  it  disgusted  her  to  kiss  her  hus- 
band, and  she  was  glad  to  get  away.  But  as  she  stepped  into 
the  passage  she  almost  stood  in  Mr.  Lennox's  room.  Never 
had  the  proximity  of  the  two  rooms  struck  her  so  forcibly 
before — one  step  took  you  across.  The  door  was  ajar,  and, 
full  of  the  natural  sentiment  that  a  woman  feels  in  the 
room  of  a  man  she  is  interested  in,  and  hoping  that  Mrs. 
Ede  had  not  yet  set  everything  straight,  she  walked  in  to 
assure  herself.  Slippers  and  boots  lay  about;  the  port- 
manteau yawned  wide  open,  with  some  'soiled  shirts  on 
the  top;  a  pair  of  trousers  trailed  from  a  chair  on  the  floor. 
Protesting  against  Mrs.  Ede's  negligence,  Kate  hung  the 
trousers  on  the  door,  placed  the  slippers  tidily  by  his  bed- 
side, and  put  away  the  dirty  linen.  But  in  doing  so  she 
could  not  refrain  from  casting  a  rapid  glance  at  the  con- 
tents of  the  portmanteau.  There,  stowed  carelessly  away, 
she  saw  many  of  the  traces  which  follow  those  who  fre- 
quent women's  society.  The  duchess  works  a  pair  of 
slippers  for  her  lover,  and  the  chorus-girl  does  the  same. 
The  merchant's  wife,  as  she  holds  the  loved  hand  under 
the  ledge  of  her  box  at  the  theatre,  clasps  the  ring  she 
has  given;  the  rich  widow  opposite  has  a  jewel-case  in  her 
pocket  which  will  presently  be  sent  round  to  the  stage- 
door  for  the  tenor,  who  is  now  thinking  of  his  high  B  flat. 

Under  the  dirty  shirts  Kate  found  a  pair  of  slippers, 
a  pin-cushion,  and  the  inevitable  ring.  But  there  were 
other  presents  more  characteristic  of  the  man;  there  was 


92  A  Mummer's  Wife 

a  bracelet,  a  scent  bottle,  and  two  pots  of  pate  de  foie  gras 
wrapped  up  in  a  lace-trimmed  chemise.  Kate  examined 
everything,  but  without  being  able  to  adduce  any  conclu- 
sion beyond  a  vague  surmise  that  Mr.  Lennox  lived  in  a 
world  far  beyond  her  reach.  The  foie  gras  suggested 
delicacy  of  living,  the  chemise  immorality,  the  bottle  of 
scent  refinement  of  taste,  the  bracelet  she  could  make 
nothing  of.  Prosaic  and  vulgar  as  were  all  these  articles, 
in  the  dressmaker's  imagination  they  became  both  poet- 
ized and  purified.  An  infinite  sadness,  that  she  could  not 
explain,  rose  up  through  her  mind,  and,  staring  vaguely 
at  the  pious  exhortation  hung  on  the  wall,  "  Thou  art  my 
will.  Thou  art  my  hope,"  she  thought  of  Mr.  Lennox's 
wounded  legs.  This  led  her  to  consider  the  softness  of 
his  bed,  and  to  wonder  if  she  could  do  anything  to  make 
him  more  comfortable.  It  vexed  her  to  see  that  he  had 
chosen  to  use  the  basin-stand  made  out  of  a  triangular 
board  set  in  a  corner,  and  not  the  proper  one,  where  she 
had  hung  two  clean  towels;  and  it  was  not  until  at  last, 
remembering  what  she  had  told  the  little  girls,  and  how 
they  would  be  expecting  her,  that  she  could  make  up  her 
mind  to  tear  herself  away. 

"  Whait  have  you  got  for  us?  "  said  four  red  lips  as  Kate 
entered. 

"  Oh,  you  must  guess,"  she  replied,  taking  a  chair,  and 
bidding  Miss  Hender  good-morning. 

"  An  apple  ?  "  cried  Annie. 

"  No." 

"  An  orange?  "  cried  Lizzie. 

Kate  shook  her  head,  and  at  the  sight  of  their  bright 
looks  she  felt  her  spirits  return  to  her. 

"  No,  it  is  sweet-stuff." 

"Brandy  balls?" 

"  No." 

"  Toffy?  " 

"  Yes;  Annie  has  guessed  right,"  said  Kate,  as  she 
divided  the  toffy  equally  between  the  two. 

"  And  do  you  get  nothing  for  guessing  right?  "  said 
Annie  doubtfully. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  93 

"  Oh,  Annie!  for  shame!  I  didn't  think  you  were 
greedy." 

"  I  think  it's  I  who  should  get  the  most,"  replied  Lizzie 
in  self-defence.  "  Had  it  not  been  for  me  Miss  Hender 
would  never  have  got  through  her  skirt.  I  helped  you 
famously,  didn't  I,  Miss  Hender  ?  " 

The  assistant  nodded  an  impatient  assent  and  gazed  at 
her  mistress  in  avid  curiosity.  In  Miss  Hender's  opinion 
the  next  best  thing  to  doing  wrong  oneself  was  to  know 
that  some  one  else  had  been.  But  the  children  being 
present,  she  could  only  watch  her  employer's  face,  and 
strive  to  read  there  some  sign  of  dissipation. 

Unconscious  of  the  scrutiny,  Kate  sat  idly  talking  of 
the  skirt  that  was  finished.  In  watching  the  others  work- 
ing, the  clicking  of  the  needles  sounded  as  sweet  music 
in  her  ears,  and,  like  one  lying  under  green  boughs,  she 
abandoned  herself  to  all  sorts  of  soft  and  floating  reveries. 
Not  for  years  had  she  known  what  it  was  to  drink  her  fill 
of  rest;  and  her  thoughts  balanced  on  one  side  and  then 
on  the  other  as  voluptuously  as  flowers,  and  hid  them- 
selves in  the  luxurious  current  of  idleness  which  lapped 
loosely  around  her. 

The  afternoon  passed  charmingly,  full  of  ease  and 
pleasant  quiet.  Miss  Hender  told  them  how  Les  Cloches 
had  gone  last  night;  of  Miss  Leslie's  spirited  singing,  of 
the  cider  song,  of  Joe  Mortimer's  splendid  miser  scene, 
of  Bret's  success  in  the  barcarole.  One  would  have 
thought,  so  eagerly  did  she  speak  of  them,  that  she  had 
herself  received  the  applause  she  described.  Kate  listened 
dreamily,  and  the  little  girls  sucked  toffy,  staring  the  while 
with  interested  eyes. 


CHAPTER    YI. 

|UT  neither  that  evening  nor  the  next  could  Kate 
manage  to  see  Mr.  Lennox.  On  both  occasions 
^  he  came  in  very  late,  and  what  caused  her  nearly 
to  despair  was  that  he  ordered  no  breakfast  in 
the  house,  and  was  away  before  she  was  down.  She  tor- 
mented herself  trying  to  find  reasons  for  his  absence,  and 
it  pained  her  to  think  that  it  might  be  because  the  break- 
fasts were  noit  to  his  taste.  It  seemed  to  her  strange,  too, 
that  when  a  man  cared  to  walk  about  the  potteries  with  a 
woman,  and  had  talked  as  nicely  as  he  had  done  to  her, 
that  he  should  not  take  the  trouble  to  come  and  see  her, 
if  it  was  only  to  say  good-morning;  and  in  a  thousand 
different  ways  did  these  thoughts  turn,  change,  twist,  tor- 
ture, break  and  become  united  in  Kate's  brain,  as  she 
sat  sewing  op])osite  Miss  Hender,  in  the  workroom.  This 
young  woman  had  ceased  talking  about  Mr.  Lennox.  She 
had  made  up  her  mind  that  there  was  something  between 
the  stage-manager  and  her  employer,  and  it  irritated  her 
when  Kaite  assured  her  that  she  had  not  seen  him  for  the 
last  two  days.  On  her  side,  too,  Kate  was  not  very  suc- 
cessful in  the  pursuit  of  information,  for  Miss  Hender, 
determined  to  be  avenged,  said  she  had  not  noticed  that 
Mr.  Lennox  limped  in  any  way,  whereas  Mrs.  Ede  declared 
that  his  walk  was  almost  that  of  a  cripple. 

This  threw  Kate  into  a  fever  of  excitement,  and  in- 
venting a  fabulo'-'s  excuse  for  early  rising,  she  left  her 
husband's  room  .^t  seven  o'clock  next  morning,  and  took 
up  her  post  to  wait  for  him  in  the  kitchen.  But  this 
ruse  was  not  successful.  Mr.  Lennox  did  not  come  down 
till  ten,  and  at  that  moment  she  was  serving  a  customer 
in  the  shop,  and  he  darted  out  at  the  side  door.  Whether 
he  had  done  this  on  purpose  to  avoid  her,  or  whether  it 
was  the  result  of  chance,  Kate  passed  the  morning  in  con- 
sidering.    She  had  hitherto  succeeded  in  completely  ignor- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  95 

ing  their  ridiculous  fall  amid  the  teacups,  hut  the  memory 
of  it  now  surged  up  iu  her  mind;  and  certain  coarse  de- 
tails, which  she  had  forgotten,  continued  to  recur  to  her 
with  a  singular  persistency,  and  deaf  to  Miss  Render's 
conversation,  she  sat  sullenly  sewing,  hating  even  to  go 
down  to  the  shop  to  attend  when  Mrs.  Ede  called  from 
below  that  there  was  a  customer  waiting.    • 

About  three  o'clock  Mrs.  Ede's  voice  was  heard. 

"  Kate,  come  down ;  there  is  someone  in  the  shop." 

Passing  round  the  counter  she  found  herself  face  to  face 
with  a  well-dressed  woman. 

"  I  was  recommended  here  by  Mrs.  West,"  the  lady  said, 
after  a  slight  hesitation,  "  to  buy  a  set  of  baby  clothes." 

"  Is  it  for  a  new-born  infant?  "  Kate  asked,  putting  on 
her  shop  airs. 

"  Well,  the  baby  is  not  born  yet,  but  I  hope  it  will  soon 
be." 

"  Oh!  I  beg  pardon,"  said  Kate,  casting  a  rapid  glance 
in  the  direction  of  the  lady's  waist. 

The  baby  clothes  were  kept  in  a  box  under  the  counter, 
and  in  a  few  moments  Kate  reappeared  with  a  bundle  of 
flannels. 

"  You  will  find  these  of  the  very  best  quality;  if  you 
will  feel  the  warmth  of  this,  ma'am,"  she  said,  spreading 
out  something  that  looked  like  two  large  towels. 

The  lady  seemed  satisfied  with  the  quality,  but  from  her 
manner  of  examining  the  strings  Kate  judged  she  was  at 
her  first  confinement,  and  with  short  phrases  and  quick 
movements  proceeded  to  explain  how  the  infant  was  to 
be  laid  in  the  middle,  and  how  the  tapes  were  to  be  tied 
across. 

"  And  you  will  want  a  hood  and  cloak?  We  have  some 
very  nice  ones  at  two  pounds  ten;  but,  perhaps,  you  would 
not  like  to  give  so  much?  " 

Without  replying  to  this  question  the  lady  asked  to  see 
the  articles  referred  to,  and  then  beneath  the  men's  shirts, 
which  hung  Just  above  their  heads,  the  two  women  talked 
with  many  genuine  airs  of  mystery  and  covert  subtlety. 
The  lady  spoke  of  her  fears,  of  how  much  she  wished  the 
next  fortnight  was  over,  of  her  husband,  of  how  long  she 


96  A  Mummer's  Wife 

had  been  married.  She  was  Mrs.  Wood,  the  stationer's 
wife  in  Piccadilly.  Kate  said  she  knew  her  shop  per- 
fectly, and  assumed  a  sad  expression  of  countenance  when 
in  her  turn  she  was  asked  if  she  had  any  children.  On 
her  replying  in  the  negative,  Mrs.  Wood  said,  with  a  sigh 
of  foreboding,  "  That  people  were  possibly  just  as  well 
without  them." 

It  was  at  this  unpropitious  moment  that  Mr.  Lennox 
entered.  A  quick  expression  of  surprise  passed  over 
Kate's  face,  and  she  tried  to  sweep  away  and  to  hide  up 
the  things  that  were  on  the  counter.  Mrs.  Wood  was 
mildly  embarrassed,  and  with  a  movement  of  retiring  she 
attempted  to  resume  the  conversation. 

"  Very  well,  Mrs.  Ede,"  she  said,  "  I  quite  agree  with 
yon and  I  will  call  again  about  those  pocket-handker- 
chiefs." 

But  Kate,  in  her  anxiety  not  to  lose  a  chance  of  doing 
a  bit  of  business,  foolishly  replied — 

"  Yes,  but  about  those  baby  clothes — ^shall  I  send  them, 
Mrs.  Wood?" 

Mrs.  Wood  murmured  something  inaudible  in  reply,  and 
as  she  sidled  and  backed  out  of  the  shop  she  bumped 
against  Mr.  Lennox. 

He  apologized  with  ease,  lifted  his  big  hat,  and  strove 
to  make  way  for  her — a  difficult  matter,  they  both  being 
large  people.  At  last,  by  his  getting  into  a  corner,  it  be- 
came possible  for  the  lady  to  pass,  and  when  this  feat, 
amid  blushes  and  confusion,  had  been  c.chieved,  he  took 
a  step  forwards,  and  leaning  on  the  counter,  said  in  a 
hurried  voice: 

"  I  have  been  waiting  to  see  you  for  the  last  two  days. 
Where  have  you  been  hiding  yourself  ?  " 

The  unexpected  question  disconcerted  Kate,  who,  instead 
of  answering  him  coldly  and  briefly  as  she  had  intended, 
said: 

"  Why,  here ;  where  did  you  expect  me  to  be  ?  But  you 
have  been  out  ever  since,"  she  added  simply. 

"  It  was  not  my  fault — ^the  business  I  have  had  to  do. 
I  was  in  London  yesterday,  and  only  got  back  last  night  in 
time  for  the  show.    There  was  talk  of  our  boss  drying  up, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  97 

but  I  think  it  is  all  right.  I'll  tell  you  about  that  another 
time.  I  have  an  appointment  now,  and  had  only  time 
to  cut  round  here  for  a  few  minutes.  I  want  you  to 
come  to  the  theatre  to-morrow  night.  Here  are  some  tickets 
for  the  centre  circle.  I'll  come  and  sit  with  you  when  I  get 
the  curtain  up,  and  we'll  be  able  to  talk." 

The  worm  does  not  easily  realize  the  life  of  the  fly,  and 
Kate  did  not  understand.  The  rapidly  stated  facts  whirled 
and  bewildered  her,  and  she  could  only  say,  in  answer  to 
his  again  repeated  question, 

"  Oh,  I  should  like  it  so  much,  but  it  is  impossible ;  if  my 
mother-in-law  heard  of  it  I  don't  know  what  she  would 
say." 

"  Well,  then,  come  to-night ;  but  no,  confound  it,  I  shall 
1)6  busy  all  to-night.  Hayes,  our  acting  manager,  has 
been  drunk  for  the  last  three  days;  he  can't  even  make 
up  the  returns.  No,  no;  you  must  come  to-morrow  night. 
Come  with  Miss  Hender;  she's  one  of  the  dressers.  I'll 
make  that  all  right;  you  can  tell  her  so  from  me.  Will 
you  promise  to  come  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  it  so  much ;  but  what  excuse  can  I  give 
for  being  out  till  half-past  ten  at  night  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  stay  till  then ;  you  can  leave  before  the 
piece  is  half  over.    Say  you  went  out  for  a  walk." 

The  most  ingenious  and  complete  fiction  that  Mr.  Len- 
nox's inventive  brain  might  have  worked  out  would  not  have 
appeased  Kate's  fears  so  completely  as  the  simple  sugges- 
tion of  a  walk,  and  as  she  remembered  how  successfully  she 
had  herself  made  use  of  the  same  excuse,  her  face  lit  up 
with  a  glow  of  intelligence. 

"  Then,  you  will  come,"  he  said,  taking  her  look  for  an 
answer. 

"  111  try,"  she  replied,  still  hesitating. 

"  Then,  that's  all  right,"  he  murmured,  pressing  two  or 
three  pieces  of  paper  into  her  hands,  which  he  held  for 
a  moment  affectionately  in  his.  "  You  don't  know  how 
I  have  been  thinking  of  you  ever  since;  if  you  did,  you 
would  like  me  better  than  you  do." 

Kate  smiled  slowly,  and  a  slight  flush  for  a  moment 
illuminated  the  pale  olive  complexion. 
7 


98  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  dreamt  that  we  were  going  up  to  London  together, 
and  that  your  head  was  lying  on  my  shoulder,  and  it  was 
so  nice  and  pleasant  and  when  I  woke  up  I  was  disap- 
pointed." 

Kate  shivered  a  little  and  drew  back  as  if  afraid ;  and  in 
the  pause  which  ensued  Mr.  Lennox  remembered  an  ap- 
pointment. "  I  must  be  off  now,"  he  said,  "  there's  no 
help  for  it;  but  you  won't  disappoint,  will  you?  The 
doors  open  at  half-past  six.  If  you  are  there  early  I  may 
be  able  to  see  you  before  the  piece  begins." 

With  that,  and  a  grand  lift  of  the  hat,  the  actor  hur- 
ried away,  leaving  Kate  to  examine  the  three  pieces  of 
paper  he  had  given  her.  With  hesitating  fingers  she 
opened  them.  For  the  moment  she  was  incapable  of 
thought,  and  she  could  not  fix  her  attention  even  suffi- 
ciently to  read  the  large  print  that  danced  under  her  eyes. 
She  remembered  that  he  had  told  her  many  things ;  that  he 
had  been  in  London,  and  that  he  had  thought  of  her,  that 
he  had  asked  her  to  meet  him  at  the  theatre  to-morrow 
night,  and  that  she  had  promised  to  do  so.  But  in  her 
mind  all  was  still  vague  until  it  flashed  across  her  mind 
that  he  had  told  her  to  confide  in  Miss  Hender.  Clearly 
it  was  impossible  for  her  to  go  to  the  theatre  without  her 
assistant  finding  it  out,  therefore  the  best  possible  plan 
was  to  confide  in  Miss  Hender. 

There  was  a  subtle  persuasiveness  in  the  thought  of  hav- 
ing someone  to  whom  she  could  talk  of  ]\Ir.  Lennox  when 
he  went  away.  But,  although  of  Miss  Hender's  secrecy 
she  had  no  doubt,  she  was  in  no  way  disposed  to  let  her 
know  any  more  of  her  affairs  than  suited  her  purpose,  and 
she  excited  and  fevered  herself  thinking  how  she  should 
approach  the  subject — how,  in  fact,  she  should  lead  her 
assistant  into  believing  that  it  was  the  play  and  not  Mr. 
Lennox  that  she  (Kate),  was  interested  in.  She  thought 
also  how  she  should  excuse  herself  when  he  came  and  sat 
by  them  during  the  performance.  A  thousand  insinuations 
occurred  to  her,  but  for  different  reasons  she  abandoned 
them  one  after  the  other.  Her  ideas  did  not  come  to  her 
smoothly,  but  with  broken  and  jagged  edges,  and  every 
now  and  then  she  would  awake  from  her  tortuous  reverie 


A  Mummer's  Wife  99 

to  see  Miss  Hender's  bland  and  freckled  face  staring  at  her 
with  a  look  of  sensual  and  imbecile  curiosity.  At  last, 
as  if  with  sudden  collapse,  she  lifted  her  head  from  her 
work  and  explained  in  the  simplest  words  possible  that  she 
would  like  to  go  to  the  theatre.  As  slie  had  expected,  there 
was  first  a  stare  of  sheer  astonishment,  and  then  a  look 
of  honest  satisfaction  spread  from  the  fat  chin  to  the 
crinkly  hair,"  and  at  the  risk,  as  she  expressed  it,  of  stalling 
lier  mistress  off,  she  asked  many  questions.  This  was  an- 
noying, and  Kate  grew  fretful.  She  wished  to  leave  every- 
thing, the  facts  as  well  as  her  conception  of  them,  in  the 
vague;  and  when  Miss  Hender  wanted  to  know  if  she  was 
real  spoons  on  the  actor,  she  declared  she  would  rather 
not  go  near  the  theatre  at  all  if  it  made  people  suppose 
such  things.  Whereupon  Miss  Hender  took  a  view  less 
carnal,  and  in  little  brief  phrases  the  two  women  discussed 
how  the  slip  should  be  given  to  old  Mrs.  Ede.  The  idea  of 
the  walk  was  not  approved  of,  it  was  too  simple;  but  on 
this  point  Kate  would  take  no  advice,  although  she  accepted 
the  suggestion  that  she  was  to  go  upstairs,  and  under  the 
pretext  of  changing  her  petticoat,  should  fold  her  hat  into 
her  mantle  and  tie  the  two  behind  her  just  as  she  would 
a  bustle.  This  device  was  not  without  ingenuity,  but  Kate 
found  it  very  difficult  to  put  it  into  practice. 

Mr.  Ede  was  out  of  bed,  and  having  been  deprived  of 
speech  for  more  than  a  week  his  garrulity  was  excessive. 
He  followed  Kate  into  the  back-room,  driving  her  nearly 
distracted  with  questions  about  the  shop,  his  health,  his 
mother,  and  Mr.  Lennox,  whom  he  declared  he  was  mighty 
anxious  to  see. 

However,  by  a  great  deal  of  manoeuvring,  she  managed  to 
tie  up  and  carry  away  unperceived  the  things  she  wanted. 
In  doing  all  this  she  was  certainly  not  free  from  certain 
twinges  of  conscience,  and  she  felt  humiliated  at  the  quan- 
tity of  falsehood  such  an  innocent  thing  as  spending  an 
evening  at  the  play  seemed  to  entail.  But  the  excitement 
kept  her  up  and  prevented  her  from  thinking  of  anything 
but  her  promise  to  Mr.  Lennox.  Now  that  she  came  to 
think  of  it,  she  was  prepared  to  admit  that  she  had  probably 
done  wrong  in  promising;  but  it  was  done  now,  and  could 


100  A  Mummer's  Wife 

not  be  undone.  Besides,  it  couldn't  much  matter;  he  was 
going  away  to-morrow,  and  it  was  her  onl}"  chance  of  seeing 
him  again. 

The  time  went  slowly,  but  it  went;  and  at  five  o'clock 
Mrs.  Ede  came  up  to  say  she  was  going  up  the  town  to  do 
a  little  marketing  for  Sunday,  and  to  ask  Kate  to  come 
down  to  the  front  kitchen,  where  she  could  l)e  in  sight  of 
the  shop.  Nothing,  as  Miss  Hender  said,  could  have 
happened  more  fortunately,  and,  with  many  instructions 
as  to  where  they  should  meet,  she  hurried  away.  But 
she  had  no  sooner  gone  than  Kate  grew  dismally  frightened, 
for  it  occurred  to  her  that  she  was  alone,  and  had  no  one 
to  leave  in  charge  of  the  shop.  This  was  a  terrible  over- 
sight, but  after  a  few  short  mental  struggles  she  resolved 
to  turn  the  key  in  the  door  and  leave  her  mother-in-law  to 
come  in  by  the  side  way.  This  was  determined  upon  as  she 
settled  her  hat  before  the  toilette-glass  that  stood  on  the 
counter  for  the  use  of  customers.  The  mantle  gave  her 
some  uneasiness;  it  did  not  seem  to  hang  well,  and  she 
examined  herself  with  all  those  gracious  turns  and  balanc- 
ings of  the  hips  and  shoulders  of  a  woman  before  a  mirror. 
There  was  a  twitch  to  be  given  to  the  skirt,  and  a  finger- 
ing to  be  done  at  the  necktie,  and,  after  a  second's  hesita- 
tion, she  decided  that  she  would  take  a  pair  of  gloves  from 
the  window.  It  was  impossible  to  wear  those  that  had 
been  lying  in  her  pocket  for  the  last  month.  As  she  was 
pulling  on  a  pair  of  gray  thread  with  the  calm  air  of  satis- 
faction that  prospective  pleasure  gives,  she  heard  some- 
thing stirring  slowly  behind  her.  With  the  rapidity  of  an 
inspiration,  it  struck  her  that  her  husband  had  come  down- 
stairs. Trembling,  she  waited  for  him  to  appear,  and, 
wheezing  loudly,  he  dragged  himself  through  the  doorway. 
Compared  with  the  man  she  was  going  to  see,  he  looked  a 
miserable  little  chap.  After  drawing  a  deep  breath  or  two, 
he  said — 

"  What — do  you  look  so  f ri — frightened  at  ?  You  did — 
didn't  expect  to  see  me,  did  you  ?  " 

"  Ko,  I  did  not  ?  "  Kate  answered  as  if  in  dream. 

"  Feeling  a  good  deal  better,  I  thou — ght  I  would  come 
down,  but — but  the  stairs — ^have  tired  me." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  101 

"  So  I  see,"  said  Kate,  who  was  trying  to  think  of  an 
excuse ;  "  but  come  into  the  kitchen  and  sit  down  on  the 
sofa." 

Mr.  Ede  walked  with  great  difficulty,  and  it  was  some 
moments  before  he  could  speak  again ;  at  last  he  said : 

"  But  where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  taking  a  walk." 

"  You — you're  always  thinking  of  walking  now."  As 
far  as  the  wheezing  would  allow  it  to  appear,  there  was  an 
intonation  of  reproach  in  this  last  remark,  but  Mr.  Ede  felt 
too  exhausted  to  object  definitely. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  am." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  if  you  are  going  out  I'll  mind  the 
shop." 

The  shop  was  Mr.  Ede's  great  love.  It  was  there  his 
life  was  centred.  The  counter  was  to  him  what  a  picture  is 
to  an  artist,  what  a  book  is  to  an  author,  what  a  child  is  to 
its  mother.  Nothing  put  him  in  such  good  humor  as 
when  he  himself  had  done  a  good  day's  business;  nothing 
annoyed  him  so  much  as  when  Kate  anticipated  him  in 
answering  a  call  from  the  shop,  and  his  anger  was  regulated 
in  proportion  to  the  purchases  the  customers  had  made; 
and  to  avoid  being  forestalled  he  would  hang  about  the 
kitchen,  fidgetting  in  and  out,  rearranging  the  articles 
exhibited  in  the  window.  These  enthusiasms  were  often  a 
positive  source  of  loss,  for  as  their  business  lay  in  articles 
peculiarly  feminine,  the  presence  of  a  man  attending  was 
not  at  all  desirable;  but  Mr.  Ede  would  not  consider  this 
side  of  the  question,  and,  his  head  resting  on  his  hand, 
he  would  remain  over  the  counter  slowly  working  out  some 
commercial  problem,  picking  the  while  a  bad  tooth  with  a 
hairpin  taken  from  the  drawers. 

The  present  descent  from  his  room  had  been  influenced 
by  mercantile  ardor,  for  since  Kate  had  told  of  the  sale 
of  the  aprons  and  the  order  for  the  baby  clothes,  his  mind 
had  been  harassed  by  visions  of  crowds  of  customers,  and 
his  ears  deafened  by  a  perpetual  jingling  of  half-crowns; 
and,  unable  to  endure  torments  so  great  any  longer,  he 
had  come  down  to  take  possession  of  his  well-beloved  till. 
He  was,  therefore,  in  the  hopes  of  a  customer,  not  ill-pleased 


102  A   Mummer's  Wife 

at  the  prospect  of  getting  rid  of  his  wife.  The  compla- 
cency with  which  he  had  made  his  last  remark  had  revealed 
the  truth  to  Kate,  and,  her  lips  trembling  with  exultation, 
she  said  : 

"  You  are  sure  you  don't  mind,  dear ;  you  are  sure  you 
are  strong  enough  ?  " 

"  I'm  all  right.     You  go  on." 

Without  waiting  for  anything  further,  Kate,  with  her 
heart  in  her  mouth,  hurried  away.  Her  time  was  up,  and 
fearing  to  miss  Miss  Hender,  she  raced  along,  dodging  the 
passers  with  quick  turns  and  twists.  She  was,  as  it  were, 
blinded  with  the  light  and  color  of  the  theatre,  which  in 
imagination  danced  before  her  eyes,  and  she  saw  and  heeded 
nobody  until  she  suddenly  heard  someone  calling  after 
her,  "  Kate  !  Kate  !  Kate  !  "  Pale  with  apprehension,  she 
turned  round  and  stood  facing  her  mother-in-law. 

"  Where  on  earth  are  you  going  at  that  rate  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Ede,  who  carried  a  small  basket  on  her  arm. 

"  Only  for  a  walk,"  Kate  replied  in  a  voice  dry  with 
enforced  calmness. 

"  Oh,  for  a  walk ;  I'm  glad  of  that,  it  will  do  you  good. 
But  which  way  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  Anywhere  round  about  the  town.  Up  on  the  hill,  St. 
John's  Eoad.' 

"  How  curious,  I  was  just  thinking  of  going  back  that 
way.  There's  a  fruiterer's  shop  where  you  can  get  potatoes 
a  penny  a  stone  cheaper  than  you  can  here." 

If  a  thunderbolt  had  destroyed  Hanley  before  her  eyes 
at  that  m.oment,  it  would  not  have  appeared  to  her  of  the 
importance  that  did  this  destruction  of  her  evening's 
pleasure.  A  sort  of  deaf  defiance  of  Mrs.  Ede  beat  in  her 
ears,  and  it  was  with  the  bitterest  difficulty  that  she  saved 
herself  from  saying  straight  out  that  she  was  going  to  the 
theatre  to  see  Mr.  Lennox,  and  had  a  right  to  do  so  if  she 
pleased.  Mastering  her  anger,  however,  with  an  effort  she 
said: 

"  But  I  like  walking  fast ;  perhaps  I  walk  too  fast  for 
you.     Do  not  come." 

"  Oh,  no,  not  at  all.  My  old  legs  are  as  good  as  your 
young  ones.     Kate,  dear,  what  is  the  matter?     Are  you 


A  Mummer's  Wife  103 

not  all  right  ?  "  she  said,  seeing  how  cross  her  daughter-in- 
law  was  looking. 

"  Oh  yes,  I'm  all  right,  but  you  do  bother  one  so." 

This  very  injudicious  phrase  led  to  a  demonstration  of 
affection  on  the  part  of  Mrs.  Ede,  and  whatever  were  the 
chances  of  getting  rid  of  her  before,  they  were  now  reduced 
to  nothing.  Hurrying  along  by  the  young  woman's  side, 
she  begged  and  besought,  questioned  and  explained,  until 
Kate  felt  that  the  top  of  her  head  was  lifting  off,  that  she 
was  going  mad.  This  continued  up  one  street,  down  an- 
other. But  Kate  heard  very  little  of  what  was  said;  her 
mind  was  too  occupied  in  thinking  how  disappointed  Mr. 
Lennox  would  be. 

That  evening  about  eleven  o'clock,  when  Mr.  Lennox's 
heavy,  lolloping  footstep  was  heard  on  the  dark  stairs,  Kate 
stole  out  of  her  workroom  to  meet  him.  He  saw  her  as  he 
scraped  a  match  on  the  wall;  dropping  it  he  put  out  his 
hands  towards  her. 

"  Is  that  you,  dear,"  he  said.  "  Why  didn't  you  come 
to  the  theatre  ?    We  had  a  magnificent  house." 

"  I  couldn't ;  I  met  my  mother-in-law." 

The  red  embers  of  the  match  that  had  fallen  on  the  floor 
now  went  out,  and  the  indication  of  their  faces  was  swept 
away  in  the  darkness. 

"  Let  me  get  a  light,  dear."  The  intonation  of  his  voice 
as  he  said  "  dear  "  caused  her  an  involuntary  feeling  of 
voluptuousness.  She  trembled  as  the  vague  outline  of  his 
big  cheeks  became  clear  in  the  red  flame  of  the  match 
which  he  held  in  his  hollowed  hands. 

"  Won't  you  come  in  ?  "  she  heard  him  say  a  moment 
after. 

"  No,  I  couldn't ;  I  must  go  upstairs  in  a  minute.  I  only 
came  to  tell  you,  for  I  didn't  want  you  to  go  away  angry; 
it  was  not  my  fault.  I  should  so  much  have  liked  to  have 
gone  to  the  theatre." 

"  It  was  a  pity  you  didn't  come ;  I  was  waiting  at  the 
door  for  you.    I  could  have  sat  by  you  the  whole  time." 

Kate's  heart  died  within  her  at  thought  of  what  she  had 
lost,  and  after  a  long  silence  she  said  very  mournfully : 


104  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Perhaps  when  you  come  back  another  time  I  shall  be 
able  to  go  to  the  theatre." 

"  We've  done  so  well  here  that  we  are  going  to  get  another 
date.    I'll  write  and  let  yon  know  ?  " 

"  Will  you  ?    And  will  you  come  back  and  lodge  here  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  and  I  hope  that  I  sha'nt  be  so  unlucky  the 
next  time  as  to  fall  down  amid  the  crockery." 

At  this  they  both  laughed,  and  the  conversation  came  to 
a  pause. 

"  I  must  bid  you  good  night  now." 

"  But  won't  you  kiss  me  ?  Just  a  kiss,  so  that  I  may  have 
something  to  think  of  you." 

"  Wliy  do  you  want  to  kiss  me  ?  You  have  Miss  Leslie 
to  kiss." 

"  I  never  kissed  Leslie ;  that's  all  nonsense,  and  I  want  to 
kiss  you  because  I  love  you." 

Kate  made  no  answer,  and  following  her  into  the  heavy 
darkness  that  hung  around  the  foot  of  the  staircase  he  took 
her  in  his  arms  and  glued  his  lips  to  hers.  She  at  first  made 
no  resistance,  but  the  passion  of  his  kiss  caused  her  a 
sudden  revolt,  and  she  struggled  with  him. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Lennox,  let  me  go,  I  beg  of  you,"  she  said, 
speaking  with  her  lips  close  to  his.  "  Let  me  go,  let  me 
go ;  they  will  miss  me." 

Possibly  fearing  another  fall,  Mr.  Lennox  loosed  his  em- 
brace, and  she  passed  away  from  him. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

BOUT  eleven  o'clock,  the  morning  after  the  kiss 
in  the  dark,  Mr.  Lennox  was  seen  struggling  with 
his  luggage  in  the  passage,  and  the  whole  fam- 
ily, including  Mr.  Ede,  who  was  now  almost  re- 
established in  health,  had  the  pleasure  of  wishing  him 
good-by.  The  little  asthmatic,  dressed  out  in  his  Sunday 
best — a  threadbare  black  frock  coat  buttoned  across  his 
thin  chest,  a  red  necktie,  an  ill-fitting  pair  of  gray  trousers 
— came  slowly  down  the  stairs,  followed  by  his  wife  and 
mother,  whom  he  was  taking  to  church.  The  fat  actor 
took  off  his  hat  in  his  very  largest  manner  to  the  ladies, 
and  the  bow  was  done  so  deferentially,  and  seemed  to  be- 
token so  much  respect  for  the  sex,  that  even  Mrs.  Ede 
could  not  help  thinking  that  Mr.  Lennox  was  very  polite. 
As  for  Kate,  the  sweep  of  the  arm,  the  glistening  of  the 
teeth,  the  frizzly  hair,  the  blue  eyes,  and  the  white  hand, 
quite  overcame  her,  and  she  bent  her  head  partly  in  shame 
for  the  doings  of  last  evening,  partly  to  hide  her  sorrow 
at  his  leaving.  But  Mr.  Lennox  did  not  make  the  eyes 
at  her  that  she  feared  he  would ;  on  the  contrary,  he  oc- 
cupied himself  solely  with  her  husband.  Shaking  hands 
with  Mr.  Ede,  he  asked  him  several  questions  about  his 
asthma.  Were  there  no  cures  for  it?  Did  it  not  affect 
the  health? 

After  his  shop,  the  question  that  most  interested  Mr. 
Ede  was  his  malady.  He  kept  an  account  of  his  attacks 
very  much  as  racing-men  do  of  their  horses,  and  when  the 
subject  was  brought  forward  there  was  one  celebrated  at- 
tack which  he  would  back  against  anything  that  had  ever 
been  known  in  the  way  of  asthma.  Mr.  Lennox  listened, 
oblivious  to  everything  in  the  interest  of  this  now  five- 
year-old  memory  of  a  past  shortness  of  breath,  and  it  was 
not  until  Mrs.  Ede  suggested  that  they  would  be  late  for 
church  that  it  occurred  to  him  that  his  chance  of  catchinoc 


106  A  Mummer's  Wife 

the  eleven  o'clock  train  was  growing  more  and  more  re- 
mote. Then,  with  a  hasty  comment  on  his  dilatoriness, 
he  caught  up  a  parcel  and  a  rug  and  shook  hands  with 
them  all. 

With  husband  and  mfe  he  was  equally  sincere.  His 
love  and  his  pity  were  equally  spontaneous,  and  he  seemed 
to  pass  from  one  sentiment  to  the  other  without  any  in- 
termediate transition  of  feeling. 

However,  he  was  off  now.  The  cab  rattled  away,  and 
Mr.  Ede,  walking  very  slowly  between  his  womankind^ 
proceeded  up  the  red,  silent  streets  towards  the  Wesleyan 
Church.  After  they  had  gone  some  twenty  or  thirty 
paces,  Mr.  Ede  said, 

"  There's  no  doubt  but  that  Mr.  Lennox  is  a  very  nice 
man — a  very  nice  man  indeed;  you  must  admit,  mother, 
that  you  were  wrong." 

"  He's  polite  if  you  will,"  replied  Mrs.  Ede,  who  for 
the  last  few  minutes  had  been  considering  the  ungodliness 
of  travelling  on  Sunday. 

"  Oh,  don't  walk  so  fast/'  said  Mr.  Ede.  "  I  must  stop 
to  get  breath.' 

"  Well,  then,  we  shall  be  late  for  church!  " 

At  this  a  little  color  rose  to  his  pallid  cheeks,  and,  as 
far  as  his  breath  would  allow,  he  abused  his  mother 
roundly.  In  his  crossgrained  disposition  these  sudden 
knots  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  then  no  words 
were  too  bitter  or  too  hard  for  him  to  use.  If  she  wanted 
to  make  him  ill  .'gain  she  was  going  the  right  way  about 
it.  A  nice  thing  .t  would  be  if  he  had  to  leave  the  church 
in  the  middle  of  one  of  the  hymns!  She  did  not  remem- 
ber when  he  had  to  be  helped  out  during  the  sermon,  and 
how  very  nice  it  looked.  And  if  he  had  asthma,  whose 
fault  was  it?  She  did  not  remember  how  she  had  not 
sent  for  the  doctor  when  he  caught  the  terrible  cold,  two 
years  ago,  until  he  was  at  death's  door?  Kate  wisely 
refrained  from  joining  in  this  discussion,  and  as  she 
nourished  a  little  rancor  against  Mrs.  Ede  for  having 
prevented  her  from  going  to  the  theatre,  there  was  an 
abstract  and  remote  pleasure  in  hearing  the  old  woman 
catch  it,  while  she,  Kate,  lingered  behind  and  dreamed 


A  Mummer's  Wife  107 

vaguely  of  the  big  man  who  was  to  come  back  to  see  her 
in  three  months'  time.  And  during  church  time  she  ex- 
perienced the  most  delicious  emotions.  The  unison  of 
the  voices,  the  grandeur  of  the  simple  chants,  united  to 
the  beauty  of  the  words,  awakened  in  her  a  vague  but 
elevated  sentiment  of  extraordinary  joy — a  joy  that  she 
had  never  experienced  before;  and  in  the  fulness  of  it 
she  sang  loudl}",  vigorously,  like  a  thrush  in  the  balmy 
deeps  of  English  woods  on  some  May  morning.  Her 
voice,  always  strong  and  sweet,  had  never  been  heard  to 
greater  advantage,  and  it  seemed  to  carry  with  it  such  a 
flavor  of  faith  that  Mrs.  Ede  could  not  but  cast  a  glance 
of  warm  approval  at  her  daughter-in-law.  She  was  too 
excited  to  think  whether  she  was  wrong  or  right  in  lov- 
ing Mr.  Lennox.  No  such  thought  occurred  to  her,  and 
when  she  sat  down  to  listen  to  the  sermon,  it  was  only  to 
pass  into  an  ecstasy  as  delicious  even  as  that  which  she 
had  experienced  during  the  singing.  The  voice  of  the 
preacher  sounded  as  dimly  as  the  sighing  of  the  breeze 
in  the  ears  of  a  dreamer  who  counts  the  petals  of  the 
flowers  between  him  and  the  sun.  Everything  swayed  be- 
fore her  in  a  mist;  the  heads  of  the  congregation  appeared 
like  a  dark  sea,  and  the  white  walls  were  clear  spaces 
deep,  in  her  imagination,  as  the  depths  of  the  sky,  where 
passed  a  multitude  of  infinitesimal  sensations — words 
spoken,  tender  answers  that  gave  place  at  once  to  plead- 
ings and  kisses,  sensations  like  soft  odors,  desires  as  frag- 
ile as  the  tints  of  roses;  things  and  places  the  most  differ- 
ent flowed  in  and  out  of  each  other,  producing  a  confused 
but  harmonious  vision  of  audible  color  and  visible  sound; 
and  the  constantly  recurring  phrase,  "  He  will  be  back  in 
three  months,"  shed  shuddering  gleams  of  silver  upon  her 
dream  as  will  a  passing  wind  over  a  calm  sea. 

Her  happiness  was  in  herself,  and  almost  lasciviously 
she  yielded  to  the  idleness  of  the  day.  During  dinner 
she  enjoyed  herself  immensely  in  sitting  still  and  lan- 
guidly listening  to  her  husband  and  mother-in-law  fight- 
ing over  again  the  battle  of  the  actor.  Mr.  Ede  had  now 
recovered  his  temper,  and  was  prepared  to  maintain  calmly 
his  opinions  regarding  Mr.  Lennox.  He  declared  he,  Mr. 
Ede,  was  just  as  good  a  Christian  as  his  mother,  and  for 


108  A  Mummer's  Wife 

that  very  reason  refused  to  judge  a  fellow  Christian.  She 
answered  that  she  did  not  judge  Mr.  Lennox,  but  she  had 
always  been  taught  to  believe  that  people  who  did  not  go 
to  church  led  godless  lives. 

Sunday  was  kept  strictly  in  this  family.  Three  ser- 
vices were  regularly  attended.  Kate,  hoping  to  recover 
the  sensations  of  the  morning,  attended  church  in  the 
afternoon.  But  the  whole  place  seemed  changed.  All 
her  passion  was  gone.  The  cold,  white  walls  chilled  her, 
and  the  people  about  her  appeared  to  her  in  a  very  small 
and  miserable  light.  Unpleasant  fancies,  too,  occurred 
to  her,  and  she  suffered  from  nervousness  and  irritability, 
even  to  the  point  of  thinking  she  was  ill.  She  was  glad 
to  get  home,  and  after  tea  no  entreaties  could  get  her  to 
leave  the  house.  She  longed  to  be  left  alone,  and  Mrs. 
Ede's  fussing  and  arguing  jarred  terribly  on  her  already 
excited  feelings.  Her  thoughts  had  gone  back  to  the  book 
she  had  fallen  asleep  over  last  Sunday  night  when  she  sat 
by  her  husband's  bedside,  and  when  the  house  was  quiet 
she  went  upstairs  and  fetched  it.  But  after  reading  a  few 
pages  the  heat  of  the  house  seemed  to  her  intolerable. 
There  was  no  place  to  go  to  for  a  walk  except  St.  John's 
Road,  and  there  turning  listlessly  over  the  pages  of  the 
old  novel  the  time  passed  imperceptibly.  It  M^as  like  sitting 
on  the  sea-shore;  the  hills  extended  like  an  horizon,  and 
as  the  sea-dreamer  strives  to  pierce  the  long  illimitable  line 
of  the  wave  and  follows  the  path  of  the  sailing  ship,  so  did 
Kate  gaze  out  of  the  sweeping  green  line  that  enclosed  all 
she  knew  of  the  world,  and  strove  to  look  beyond  into  the 
country  to  where  her  friend  was  going. 

And  the  evening  was  superb.  Northwood,  with  its  hun- 
dreds of  sharp  roofs  and  windows,  slept  under  pale  salmon- 
colored  tints,  and  the  bells  of  its  church  sounded  clearer 
and  clearer  at  each  peal.  Warm  breaths,  soft  as  caresses, 
passed  over  the  red  roofs  of  Southwark,  and  below  in  the 
vast  hollow  of  the  valley  all  was  still,  all  seemed  abandoned 
as  a  desert;  no  whiff  of  white  steam  was  blown  from  the 
collieries;  no  black  cloud  of  smoke  rolled  from  the  factory 
chimneys,  and  they  raised  their  tall  stems  like  a  suddenly 
dismantled  forest  to  a  wan,  an  almost  colorless  sky.  The 
hills  alone  maintained  their  unchangeable  aspect. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

ENCEFORTH  Kate's  character  gradually  under- 
went a  change,  or  rather  it  seemed  to  be  return- 
ing to  what  it  originally  was.  With  some  modifi- 
cations, all  the  salient  points  of  her  special 
temperament,  which  seven  years  of  married  life  had  effaced, 
returned  just  as  the  leaves  do  imperceptibly  after  the  first 
breath  of  spring;  and  this  metamorphosis  was  acomplished 
as  silently  as  the  alternations  of  the  seasons.  There  was  no 
internal  struggle,  no  analysis  of  mind,  no  more  conscious- 
ness of  change  than  there  is  in  the  earth  when  she  offers 
March  the  first  daffodils.  The  living  clay  brought  up  her 
flowers  as  simply  as  the  dead. 

By  the  well-known  ways,  the  dog  comes  back  to  his  ken- 
nel, the  sheep  to  the  fold,  the  horse  to  the  stable,  and  even 
so  did  Kate  return  to  her  sentimental  self.  One  day  as  she 
was  turning  over  the  local  paper,  her  eyes,  suddenly  obey- 
ing a  long-forgotten  instinct,  wandered  to  the  poetry 
column,  and  again,  just  as  in  old  time,  she  was  caught  by 
the  same  simple  sentiments  of  sadness  and  longing.  She 
found  there  the  usual  song,  in  which  regret  rhymes  to  for- 
get. The  same  dear  questions  which  used  to  enchant  seven 
years  ago  were  again  asked  in  the  same  naive  and  childish 
fashion  ;  and  they  touched  her  now  as  they  had  before.  She 
refound  all  her  old  dreams;  it  seemed  as  if  not  a  day  had 
passed  over  her. 

The  hearts  of  the  people  change  but  little — if  at  all. 
When  rude  work  and  misery  does  not  grind  and  trample  all 
feeling  out  of  them,  they  remain  ever  children  in  their 
sentiments,  understanding  only  such  simple  emotions  as 
correspond  to  their  daily  food.  The  contrary  is  seen  in  the 
woman  of  the  world.  At  thirty  she  hates  the  man  she 
loved  at  twenty;  the  books  that  charmed  her  when  she 
was  a  girl  she  learns  to  regard  as  contemptible.  Her  taste 
changes;  she  requires  as  she  goes  on  more  subtle  and  com- 


110  A   Mmnvier's   Wife 

plcx  sensations,  just  as  the  epicure  in  his  progress  from  one 
dish  to  another  demands  higher  seasoning  and  stranger 
delicacies. 

But  in  the  woman  of  the  people  there  is  no  intellectual 
advancement;  she  never  learns  to  judge,  to  discriminate. 
What  pleases  her  at  one  age  does  at  another.  Toil,  if  not 
sufficient  to  kill,  preserves.  The  rich  man  changes,  the 
peasant  remains  the  same ;  and  what  is  witnessable  in  cen- 
turies is  witnessable  in  a  single  life.  The  years  may  freeze, 
but  otherwise  they  do  not  alter  a  working  woman's  heart; 
and  should  a  thaw  come,  the  simple  sentiments  of  her 
youth  again  burst  into  blossom.  Her  choice  of  books  shows 
how  little  time  has  taught  her.  The  same  grotesque  ad- 
ventures enrapture  her  as  they  did  before.  She  is  as  in- 
capable at  thirty  as  at  twenty  to  distinguish  between  the 
false  and  the  true; — apparently  even  less  so,  for  if  exper- 
ience has  influenced  her  taste  at  all,  it  has  rendered  it  more 
childish  and  ignorant,  and  now  more  than  before  is  her 
imagination  the  palpitating  prey  of  the  absurd  fiction, 
and  now  more  than  ever  does  she  relish  the  stories  of  super- 
natural heroism,  abnegation,  and  sacrifice. 

But  sentiment  above  all ;  true  rhyming  to  you,  regret  to 
forget,  part  to  heart,  is  sufficient  to  force  her  to  tears,  to 
produce  a  gross  exultation  of  the  senses.  The  wording  may 
be  simple,  the  substance  commonplace;  but  the  mere  state- 
ment that  two  people  are  separated  and  love  each  other  is 
sufficient.  For  her  the  art  is  never  deficient,  and  the  same 
sing-song  cry  will  never  fail  to  give  her  the  same  sensations 
of  regret  and  longing. 

And  so  it  used  to  be  with  Kate.  A^^ien  she  was  a  girl 
she  collected  every  scrap  of  love  poetry  that  appeared  in 
the  local  paper,  pasted  it  into  a  book,  and  in  secret,  de- 
voured each  little  effusion  with  all  sorts  of  tender  sad- 
nesses. And  now  the  events  of  the  week  having  roused  her 
from  the  lethargy  into  which  she  had  fallen,  she,  as  instinc- 
tively as  an  awakened  child  turns  to  the  breast,  turned  to 
the  Hanley  Courier  for  a  poem. 

The  verses  she  happened  to  hit  on  were  those  after  her 
own  heart,  and  just  what  were  required  to  complete  the 
transformation  of  her  character — 


A  Mummer's  Wife  111 

I  love  thee,  I  love  thee,  how  fondly,  how  well, 
Let  the  years  that  are  coming  my  constancy  tell  ; 
I  think  of  thee  daily — my  night-thonghts  are  thine, 
In  fairy-like  vision  thy  hand  presses  mine  : 
And  even  though  absent  you  dwell  in  my  heart ; 
Of  all  that  is  dear  to  me,  dearest  thou  art. 

In  reading  these  lines  Kate  experienced  a  quick  beating 
of  the  heart,  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  wrapped  in 
brightness,  like  a  far  distant  coast-line,  a  vision  of  her  girl- 
hood arose.  She  recalled,  with  a  joy  that  was  giddy,  that 
danced  in  her  brain,  as  might  sunlight  amid  flowers,  the 
emotions  she  once  experienced,  the  books  she  had  read,  the 
poetry  that  she  had  gathered  together,  that  was  lying  up- 
stairs in  an  old  trunk  pushed  under  the  bed.  It  seemed 
to  her  incredible  that  it  had  been  forgotten  so  long;  her 
memory  skipped  from  one  fragment  to  the  other,  picking 
up  a  word  here,  a  phrase  there,  until  a  remembrance  of  her 
favorite  novel  seized  her,  and  involuntarily  substituting 
herself  for  the  lady  who  used  to  read  Byron  and  Shelley 
under  the  green  trees  to  the  gentleman  who  went  to  India 
in  despair,  she  became  the  heroine  of  it  all. 

As  the  fitness  of  the  comparison  dawned  upon  her  she 
yielded  to  an  inefi'able  sentiment  of  weakness:  George  was 
the  husband's  name  in  the  book,  she  was  Helene,  and  Dick 
was  the  lover  to  whom  she  could  not,  would  not  give  herself, 
and  who  on  that  account  had  gone  away  in  despair.  The 
coincidence  appeared  to  her  as  something  marvellous,  some- 
thing above  nature,  and  she  turned  it  over,  examined  it  in 
her  mind,  as  a  child  would  a  toy.  And  forgetful  of  her 
desire  to  overlook  her  souvenirs  of  old  times,  she  went  up- 
stairs to  the  workroom  hoping  to  be  able  to  talk  of  Dick 
to  Miss  Hender.  His  Christian  name  had  come  upon  her 
suddenly;  her  landlady  instincts  disappeared,  and  hence- 
forth she  thought  of  him  as  Dick. 

The  missed  visit  to  the  theatre  was  a  favorite  theme  of 
conversation  between  the  two  women.  It  afforded  Miss 
Hender  constant  opportunities  of  expressing  her  views  con- 
cerning men,  women,  and  matrimony,  of  speaking  of  Bill, 
of  expatiating  on  the  pleasure  of  the  lark  she  had  with 
him  a  night  or  two  ago,  and  abusing  Mrs.  Ede.    Kate  con- 


112  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tributed  little  to  these  discussions;  she  listened,  hazarding 
a  word  of  reproof  when  the  description  of  Bill's  behavior 
became  too  coarse,  and  the  denunciations  of  "  the  hag " 
grew  disgraceful.  She  was  sharp  enough,  however,  not  to 
make  any  confidences,  and  she  resented  all  Miss  Hender's 
insinuations,  declaring,  whenever  she  got  the  opportunity, 
that  she  did  not  admire  Mr.  Lennox,  and  that  on  the  night 
in  question  she  had  been  merely  desirous  of  seeing  the 
play.  Miss  Hender,  although  she  did  not  believe,  did  the 
amiable,  and  smiled  graciously.  She  saw  no  reason  for 
annoying  her  employer  by  doubting  her  words.  Noth- 
ing would  be  gained  by  so  doing.  The  workroom  had  now, 
according  to  Miss  Hender's  notion,  become  a  much  more 
agreeable  place  of  resort  than  ever  it  had  been  before.  All 
the  religious  humbug  had  been  done  away  with,  and  now 
you  could  talk  pleasantly  and  agreeably  without  being 
afraid  of  being  pulled  up  at  every  moment  for  one  word 
or  other.  Kate  listened  to  what  went  on  behind  the  scenes 
with  greater  indulgence,  and  she  seemed  to  have  become 
accustomed  to  the  idea  that  Bill  and  Miss  Hender  were 
something  more  than  friends.  In  like  manner  she  was 
more  tolerant  when  "  the  hag's "  religious  opinions  were 
attacked.  It  was,  of  course,  impossible  to  pass  over  the 
epithet  of  hag  without  reproof ;  it  would  be  wicked  to  hear 
her  faith  sneered  at,  and  Kate  made  many  efforts  to  control 
her  assistant's  abusive  language,  only  these  efforts  were  not 
as  firm  or  as  conclusive  as  they  were  formerly.  She  was 
conscious  of  these  cowardices,  and  when  she  was  alone  she 
often  blamed  herself  bitterly.  Remembering  the  old  wo- 
man's love,  the  sacrifices  she  would  make  for  her,  Kate  felt 
her  heart  sink;  she  detested  herself  for  it,  and  she  often 
resolved  never  more  to  allow  Miss  Hender  to  speak  ill  of 
Mrs.  Ede.  But  the  temptation  was  so  subtle,  for  when 
she  was  lamenting  the  monotony  of  her  life  (a  thing  she 
did  frequently  now),  a  little  railing  against  her  mother-in- 
law  was  a  high,  plaintive  note  which  her  heart  vaguely 
sighed  for.  Often  she  unconsciously  led  up  to  this  point, 
and  had  Miss  Hender  been  contented  to  keep  her  place  and 
do  no  more  than  duly  echo  her  mistress's  sentiments,  her 
companionship  would  have  left  nothing  to  be  desired.    But 


A  Mummer's  Wife  113 

the  girl's  brutal  nature  could  not  understand  wandering 
thoughts,  and  she  would  insist  on  determining  the  mean- 
ing of  every  chance  complaint  by  some  coarse  and  vigor- 
ous epithet.  As  Kate  often  said,  it  was  abominable  to  have 
her  thoughts  interpreted  in  that  way.  She  loved  her 
mother-in-law  very  dearly,  she  didn't  know  what  she'd  do 
without  her,  but —  So  it  went  on ;  struggle  as  she  would 
with  herself,  there  still  lay  at  the  bottom  of  her  mind,  like 
a  bone  that  a  dog  has  hidden,  the  thought  that  Mrs.  Ede 
had  prevented  her  from  going  that  evening  to  the  theatre, 
and  turn,  twist,  and  wander  away  as  she  would,  she  came 
back  to  gnaw  it  invariably. 

Frequently  Miss  Hender  had  to  repeat  her  questions 
before  she  obtained  an  intelligible  answer,  and  often,  with- 
out even  vouchsafing  a  reply,  Kate  would  nervously  pitch 
her  work  aside,  saying  she  wanted  to  see  what  was  going  on 
in  the  shop.  During  these  days  very  little  work  was  done. 
Miss  Hender  was  not  the  person  to  wear  out  her  fingers 
when  conversation  and  sympathy  were  all  that  were  re- 
quired of  her,  and  Kate  did  not  seem  to  care  how  things 
went.  Her  thoughts  were  elsewhere;  she  was  waiting  im- 
patiently for  an  opportunity  for  a  couple  of  hours  during 
which  she  would  not  be  disturbed,  for  the  purpose  of  over- 
looking the  old  trunk,  full  of  the  trinkets,  books,  verses, 
souvenirs  of  her  youth,  which  lay  under  her  bed,  pushed 
up  against  the  wall.  But  a  free  hour  was  not  a  thing  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  her  life ;  it  was  only  possible  on  the 
condition  of  Mr.  Ede  being  out.  Then  her  mother-in-law 
had  to  mind  the  shop,  and  Kate,  at  the  top  of  the  house, 
would  be  sure  of  privacy. 

There  was  no  valid  reason  why  she  should  dread  being 
found  out  in  so  innocent  an  amusement  as  turning  over 
a  few  old  papers.  Her  fear  was  merely  an  unreasoned  and 
nervous  apprehension  of  ridicule.  Her  sentimentality  had, 
since  she  could  remember,  always  been  a  subject  either  of 
mourning  or  pity,  and  in  allowing  it  to  die  out  of  her 
heart  she  had  learned  to  feel  ashamed  of  it:  the  idea  of 
being  discovered  going  back  to  it  revolted  her,  and  she  did 
not  know  which  would  annoy  her  the  most:  her  husband's 
sneers  or  Mrs.  Ede's  blank  alarm.     Kate  remembered  how 


114  A  Mummer's  Wife 

she  used  to  be  told  that  books  like  novels  had  nothing  in 
them  that  led  the  soul  to  God,  and,  therefore,  must  be 
wicked  and  sinful,  and,  resolved  to  avoid  any  further  lec- 
tures on  this  subject,  she  devoted  herself  to  the  task  of  per- 
suading Mr.  Ede  to  leave  his  counter  and  go  out  for  a  walk. 
This  was  not  easy,  but  she  arrived  at  last  at  the  point  of 
helping  him  on  with  his  coat,  handing  him  his  hat,  con- 
ducting him  to  the  door,  she  bid  him  not  to  walk  fast  and 
be  sure  to  keep  in  the  sun,  and  then  went  upstairs,  her 
mind  relaxed,  determined  to  enjoy  herself  to  the  extent  of 
allowing  her  thoughts  for  an  hour  or  so  to  Meander  at  their 
own  sweet  will. 

The  trunk  was  an  oblong  box  covered  with  brown  hair; 
to  pull  it  out  she  had  to  get  under  the  bed,  and  it  was  with 
trembling  and  eager  fingers  that  she  untied  the  old  twisted 
cords.  Souvenir  with  Kate  was  a  cult,  but  her  husband's 
indifference  and  her  mother-in-law's  hard  and  determined 
opposition  had  forced  it  out  of  sight :  but  now,  on  the  first 
encouragement,  it  gushed  forth  like  a  suppressed  fountain 
that  an  incautious  hand  had  suddenly  liberated.  And  with 
what  joy  she  turned  over  the  old  books !  She  examined 
the  color  of  the  covers,  she  read  a  phrase  here  and  there: 
they  were  all  so  dear  to  her  that  she  did  not  know  which 
she  loved  the  best.  Scenes,  heroes,  and  heroines,  long  for- 
gotten came  back  to  her;  and  in  what  minuteness  and  how 
vividly !  It  appeared  to  her  that  she  could  not  go  on  fast 
enough ;  a  glow  of  gladness  had  rushed  to  her  head  until 
she  wished  and  longed  to  scream  forth  her  delight.  Her 
emotion  gained  upon  her  until  it  became  quite  hysterical. 
In  turning  feverishly  over  some  papers  a  withered  pansy 
floated  into  her  lap.  Immediately  the  tears  started  to  her 
eyes,  and  she  pressed  it  to  her  lips.  There  was  a  pitiful 
tenderness  in  the  poor  little  flower  forgotten  for  so  long, 
and  there  seemed  to  be  a  meaning  even  in  its  feeble  flutter. 
It  had  sought  refuge  in  her  bosom, — and  then  had  fallen 
into  her  lap.  She  could  not  remember  when  she  gathered 
it ;  all  memory  of  it  had  faded ;  but  it  had  come  to  her — it 
had  come  back  to  her.  Kate's  feelings  were  overwrought; 
her  lips  quivered,  the  light  seemed  to  be  growing  dark,  and 
a  sudden  sense  of  misery  eclipsed  her  happiness,  and  unable 


A  Mummer's  Wife  115 

to  restrain  herself  any  longer,  she  burst  into  a  tumultuous 
storm  of  sobs. 

But  after  having  cried  for  a  few  minutes  her  passion 
subsided,  and  she  wiped  the  tears  from  off  her  hands  and 
face,  and  smiling  very  sadly  at  herself,  she  continued  her 
search.  Ever}i;hing  belonging  to  that  time,  verses  and 
faded  flowers,  interested  her;  but  her  thoughts  were  espe- 
cially centred  on  an  old  copybook  in  which  she  kept  the 
fragments  of  poetry  that  used  to  strike  her  fancy  at  the 
moment.  When  she  came  upon  it  her  heart  beat  quicker 
and  with  mild  sentiments  of  regret,  she  read  through  the 
slips  of  newspaper.  They  were  all  the  same,  but  as  long 
as  anyone  Avas  spoken  of  as  being  the  nearest  and  the  dear- 
est Kate  was  satisfied.  Even  the  bonbon  mottoes,  of  which 
there  were  large  numbers,  drew  from  her  the  deepest  sighs. 
The  little  Cupid  firing  at  a  target  in  the  shape  of  a  heart, 
with  "  Tom  Smith  &  Co.,  London,"  printed  in  small  let- 
ters underneath,  did  not  prevent  her  from  sharing  the  sen- 
timent expressed  in  the  lines : — 

Let  this  cracker  torn  asunder 

Be  an  emblem  of  my  heart, 
And  as  we  have  shared  the  plunder 

Pray  you  of  my  love  take  part. 

Sitting  on  the  floor,  with  one  hand  leaning  on  the  open 
trunk,  she  read,  letting  her  thoughts  drift  through  past 
scenes  and  sensations.  All  was  dreamy,  far  away ;  and  she 
turned  over  the  debris  that  the  past  had  thrown  up  on  the 
shore  of  the  present,  without  seing  any  connection  between 
it  and  the  needs  of  the  moment  until  she  lit  on  the  follow- 
ing verses : — 

Wearily  I'm  waiting  for  you, 

For  your  absence  watched  in  vain  ; 
Ask  myself  the  hopeless  question, 

Will  he  ever  come  again  ? 

All  these  years  am  I  forgotten  ? 

Or  in  absence  are  you  true  ? 
Oh  !  my  darling,  'tis  so  lonely 

Watching,  waiting  here  for  you  ! 


116  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Has  your  heart  from  its  allegiance 

Turned  to  greet  a  fairer  face  ? 
Have  you  welcomed  in  another 

Charms  you  missed  in  me,  and  grace  ? 

Long,  long  years  I  have  been  waiting, 

Bearing  up  against  my  pain  ; 
All  my  thoughts  and  vows  have  vanished, 

Will  they  ever  come  again  ? 

Yes,  for  woman's  faith  ne'er  leaves  her, 

And  my  trust  outweighs  my  fears, 
And  I  still  will  wait  his  coming. 

Though  it  may  not  be  for  years. 

As  the  deer  when  it  believes  it  has  eluded  the  swift  hunt- 
ing hounds  leaves  the  burning  plains  and  plunges  into  the 
cool  woodland  water,  Kate  bathed  her  tired  soul  letting  it 
drink  its  fill  of  this  very  simple  poem.  Tenderly  the  sen- 
timent came  to  her  through  the  weak  words;  and  melting 
with  joy,  she  repeated  them  over  and  over  again. 

At  last  her  sad  face  lit  up  with  a  smile.  It  had  occurred 
to  her  to  send  the  poem  that  gave  her  so  much  pleasure  to 
Dick.  Like  a  ray  of  sunlight  the  thought  had  flashed 
through  her  soul.  It  would  make  him  think  of  her  when 
he  was  far  away;  it  would  tell  him  that  she  had  not  for- 
gotten him.  The  idea  pleased  her  so  much  that  it  did  not 
occur  to  her  to  think  if  she  would  be  doing  wrong  in  sending 
these  verses  to  her  lodger,  and  with  renewed  ardor  and 
happiness  she  continued  her  search  among  her  books. 
There  was  no  question  in  her  mind  as  to  which  she  would 
read,  and  she  anticipated  hours  of  delight  in  tracing  re- 
semblances between  herself  and  the  lady  who  used  to  read 
Byron  and  Shelley  to  her  aristocratic  lover.  She  feared  at 
first  she  had  lost  this  novel,  but  when  it  was  discovered  it 
was  put  away  for  immediate  use.  The  next  that  came 
under  her  hand  was  also  the  story  of  a  country  doctor.  In 
this  instance  the  medical  hero  had  poisoned  one  sister  to 
whom  he  was  secretly  married  in  order  that  he  might  wed 
a  second.  Kate  at  first  hesitated,  but  remembering  that 
there  was  an  elopement,  with  a  carriage  overturned  in  a 
muddy  lane,  she  decided  upon  looking  through  it  again. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  117 

Another  book  related  with  much  pathos  the  love  of  a  young 
lady  who  found  herself  in  the  awkward  predicament  of  not 
being  able  to  care  for  anyone  but  her  groom,  who  was  lucky 
enough  to  be  the  possessor  of  the  most  wonderful  violet 
eyes.  The  fourth  described  the  distressing  position  of  a 
young  clergyman,  who  when  he  told  the  lady  of  his  choice 
that  his  means  for  the  moment  did  not  admit  of  his  taking 
a  wife,  was  answered  that  it  did  not  matter,  for  she  was, 
in  the  meantime,  quite  willing  to  be  his  mistress.  This 
devotion  and  self-sacrifice  touched  Kate  so  deeply  that  she 
was  forced  to  pause  in  her  search  to  consider  how  those 
who  have  loved  much,  are  forgiven.  But  at  this  moment 
Mrs.  Ede  entered. 

"  Oh,  Kate  !  what  are  you  doing  there  ?  " 

Although  the  question  was  asked  in  an  intonation  of 
voice  affecting  to  be  one  only  of  astonishment,  there  was 
nevertheless  in  it  an  accent  of  reproof,  which,  in  her  pres- 
ent mood,  was  especially  irritating  to  Kate.  A  deaf  anger 
against  her  mother-in-law's  interference  oppressed  her,  but 
getting  the  better  of  it  she  said  quietly  though  somewhat 
sullenly — 

"  You  always  want  to  know  what  I  am  doing !  I  declare 
one  can't  turn  round  but  you're  after  me.  Just  like  a 
shadow." 

"  What  you  say  is  unjust,  Kate,"  replied  the  old  woman 
warmly.    "  I'm  sure  I  never  pry  after  you." 

"  Well,  anyhow,  there  it  is ;  I'm  looking  out  for  a  book 
to  read  in  the  evenings,  if  you  want  to  know." 

"  I  thought  you  had  given  up  reading  those  vain  and  sin- 
ful books ;  they  cannot  do  you  any  good." 

"  What  harm  can  they  do  me  ?  " 

"  They  turn  your  thoughts  from  Christ.  I  have  looked 
into  them  to  see  that  I  may  not  be  speaking  wrongly,  and 
I  have  found  them  nothing  but  vain  accounts  of  the  world 
and  its  worldliness.  I  did  not  read  far,  but  what  I  saw  was 
a  lot  of  excusing  of  women  who  could  not  love  their  hus- 
bands, and  much  sighing  after  riches  and  pleasure.  I 
thanked  God  you  had  given  over  such  things.  I  believed 
your  heart  was  turned  towards  Him.  Now  it  grieves  me 
bitterly  to  see  I  was  mistaken." 


118  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean.  Ealpli  never  said  that 
there  was  any  harm  in  my  reading  tales." 

"  Ah !  Raljjh^  I'm  afraid,  has  never  set  a  good  example. 
I  would  not  blame  him,  for  he's  my  own  son,  but  I  would 
wish  to  see  him  not  prizing  so  highly  the  things  of  the 
world." 

"  We  must  live,  though,"  Kate  answered,  without  quite 
understanding  what  she  said. 

"  Live,  of  course  we  have  to  live ;  but  it  depends  how  we 
live  and  what  we  live  for — whether  it  be  to  indulge  the  de- 
sires of  the  flesh,  the  desire  of  the  eye,  or  to  regain  the 
image  of  God,  to  have  the  design  of  God  again  planted  in 
our  souls.  This  is  what  we  should  live  for,  and  it  is  only 
thus  that  we  shall  find  true  happiness." 

Though  these  were  memories  of  phrases  heard  in  the 
pulpit,  they  were  uttered  by  Mrs.  Ede  with  a  fervour,  with 
a  candour  of  belief,  that  took  from  them  any  appearance  of 
artificiality ;  and  Kate  did  not  notice  that  her  mother-in-law 
was  using  words  that  were  not  habitual  to  her. 

"  But  what  do  you  want  me  to  do  ?  "  said  Kate,  who  began 
to  feel  frightened. 

"  To  go  to  Christ,  to  love  Him.  He  is  all  we  have  to  help 
us,  and  they  who  love  Him  truly  are  guided  as  to  how  to  live 
righteously.  Whether  we  eat  or  drink,  or  whatever  we  do, 
it  springs  from  or  leads  to  the  love  of  God  and  man." 

These  words  stirred  Kate  to  her  very  entrails ;  a  sudden 
gush  of  feeling  brought  the  tears  to  her  eyes,  and  she  was  on 
the  point  of  throwing  herself  into  Mrs.  Ede's  arms. 

The  temptation  to  have  a  good  cry  was  almost  irresistible, 
and  the  Inirden  of  her  pent-up  emotions  was  more  than  she 
could  bear.  But  she  hesitated,  communing  the  while 
rapidly  within  herself,  until  an  unexpected  turn  of  thought 
harshly  put  it  before  her  that  she  was  being  made  a  fool  of 
— that  she  had  a  perfect  right  to  look  through  her  books 
and  poetry,  and  that  Miss  Hender's  sneers  were  no  more 
than  she  deserved  for  allowing  a  mother-in-law  to  bully  her. 
Then  the  tears  of  sorrow  became  those  of  anger,  and  striving 
to  speak  as  rudely  as  she  could,  she  said — 

"  I  don't  talk  about  Christ  as  much  as  you,  But  He  judges 


A  Mummer's  Wife  119 

us  by  our  hearts  and  not  by  our  words.  You  would  do  well 
to  humble  yourself  before  you  come  to  preach  to  others." 

"•  Dear  Kate,  it  is  because  I  see  you  interested  in  things 
that  have  no  concern  with  God's  love  that  I  speak  to  you  so. 
A  man  who  never  knows  a  thought  of  God  has  been  staying 
here,  and  I  fear  he  has  led  you " 

At  these  words  Kate,  who  had  thrown  the  last  papers  into 
the  trunk,  and  pushed  it  away,  turned  round  fiercely. 

"  Led  me  into  what  ?  What  do  you  mean  ?  Mr.  Lennox 
was  here  because  Ealph  wished.  I  think  that  you  should 
know  better  than  to  say  such  things.    I  do  not  deserve  it." 

On  this  Kate  left  the  room,  her  face  clouded  and  tremb- 
ling with  a  passion  that  she  did  not  quite  feel.  To  just  an 
appreciable  extent  she  was  conscious  that  it  suited  her  con- 
venience to  quarrel  with  her  mother-in-law.  She  was  tired 
of  the  life  she  was  leading,  her  whole  heart  was  in  her  novels 
and  poetry,  and  determined  to  take  in  the  London  Reader 
or  Journal,  she  called  l)ack  to  Mrs.  Ede  that  she  was  going 
to  consult  Ralph  on  the  matter. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Ede  was  in  capital  spirits.  The  affairs 
in  the  shop  were  going  on  more  satisfactorily  than  usual, 
a  fact  which  he  did  not  fail  to  attribute  to  his  superior 
commercial  talents.  "  A  business  like  theirs  went  to  the 
bad,"  he  declared,  "  when  there  was  not  a  man  to  look  after 
it.  Women  so  much  preferred  being  attended  to  by  one  of 
the  other  sex ; "  and  beaming  with  artificial  smiles,  the 
little  man  measured  out  yards  of  ribbon,  and  suggested 
"  that  they  had  a  very  superior  thing  in  the  way  of  petti- 
coats just  come  from  Manchester."  His  health  was  also 
much  improved,  so  much  so  that  his  asthmatic  attack 
seemed  to  have  done  him  good.  A  little  color  flushed  his 
cheeks  around  the  edges  of  the  thick  beard.  In  the  even- 
ings after  supper,  when  the  shop  was  closed,  an  hour  before 
they  went  up  to  prayers,  he  would  talk  of  the  sales  he  had 
made  during  the  day,  and  speak  authoritatively  of  the  pos- 
sibilities of  enlarging  the  business.  According  to  him  tJie 
thing  to  do  was  to  find  some  one  in  London  who  would 
forward  them  the  very  latest  fashions;  of  course  not  all 
the  fashions,  but,  for  example,  a  person  who  would  be 
clever  enough  to  pick  out  and  send  them  some  stylish  but 


120  A  Mummer's  Wife 

simple  dress  which  Kate  coukl  copy.  He  would  work  the 
advertisements,  and  if  the  articles  were  well  set  in  the 
window  he  would  answer  for  the  rest.  The  great  difficulty 
was,  of  course,  the  question  of  frontage,  and  Mr.  Ede's 
face  grew  grave  as  he  thought  of  his  wretched  little  win- 
dows. "  Nothing,"  he  said,  "  could  be  done  without  plate- 
glass,"  and  the  wonders  he  saw  behind  a  single  pane  daz- 
zled him  very  much  as  the  possibility  of  a  six-inch  tele- 
scope did  Galileo.  Five  hundred  pounds  would  buy  out 
the  fruit-seller,  and  throw  the  whole  place  into  one.  Then 
they  would  require  a  couple  of  assistants!  These  dreams 
of  attainable  earthly  grandeur  caused  Mr.  Ede  to  sigh 
deeply;  and  Kate,  interested  in  all  that  was  imaginative, 
would  then  raise  her  eyes  from  the  pages  of  her  book,  and 
ask  if  there  was  no  possibility  of  realizing  this  grand 
future.  But  as  the  days  went  by  an  unaccustomed  tender- 
ness would  fill  her  eyes  as  she  looked  at  him.  She  was 
reading  a  novel  that  affected  her  profoundly.  It  was  full 
of  the  most  singular  and  exciting  scenes,  and  she  thought 
that  under  the  circumstances  she  would  have  felt  and  acted 
just  as  the  heroine  did.  As  for  the  hero,  had  he  asked  her 
for  her  life  she  would  willingly  have  laid  it  down  at  his 
feet.  So  charming  was  he,  so  good  and  so  true,  that 
heaven  seemed  on  her  lips  while  she  read  the  grand  and 
elevated  thoughts  that  he  gave  utterance  to  on  all  occa- 
sions. Never  did  Kate  remember,  even  when  she  was  a 
child,  having  been  impassioned  and  enraptured  by  a  novel 
to  the  same  extent  as  she  was  by  this.  For  the  emotions 
she  drew  from  current  fiction  when  a  girl  were  abstract 
and  diffused.  She  sighed  over  and  was  sorry  for  those  who 
were  disappointed  in  love,  but  now  there  was  a  shade  of 
jealousy  in  her  mind,  and  unconsciously  she  regretted  that 
it  was  not  her  lot  to  captivate  handsome  young  lords,  and 
that  no  occasions  presented  themselves  in  her  life  for  ro- 
mantic self-sacrifices.  In  old  times  she  was  contented  to 
accept  the  heroes  and  heroines  as  beings  as  far  beyond  her 
as  the  world  beyond  the  hills;  now  she  wished  to  know 
both,  and  devoured  by  an  ardent  thirst,  she  worked  out 
preposterous  resemblances  between  the  people  she  read  of 
and  those  who  moved  within,  or  had  passed  across,  the  nar- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  121 

row  circle  of  her  life.  Dick,  of  course,  came  in  for  the 
lion's  share  of  these  imaginings,  and  successively  she  saw 
him  as  a  French  noble  being  led  to  execution,  an  Italian 
brigand  in  love  with  a  3'oung  girl  who  sat  perpetually  in 
the  oriel  window  of  a  castellated  castle,  as  an  English  lord 
sacrificing  everything  for  a  lovely  maiden.  Indeed,  the  dis- 
guises in  which  he  appeared  to  her  were  as  numerous  and 
as  fantastic  as  those  he  assumed  in  his  opera-bouffes.  But 
he  was  not  the  only  person  she  idealized;  ever3^one  she 
knew  had  to  be  likened,  either  to  their  advantage  or  (dis- 
advantage, to  someone ;  and  in  her  present  book  "  Prince 
Charmian,"  she  had  discovered  a  character  who  reminded 
her  of  her  husband.  This  person  was  a  courtier  at  the 
court  of  Louis  XIV.  He  said  sharp  things,  and  often 
made  himself  disagreeable,  but  there  was  nevertheless 
something  about  him  that  pleased,  and  under  the  influence 
of  this  fancy  she  began  to  find  new  qualities,  the  existence 
of  which  she  had  not  before  suspected,  in  Ralph.  Some- 
times even  the  thought  struck  her  that  if  he  had  been  al- 
ways like  what  he  was  now  she  would  have  loved  him 
better.  One  evening  as  she  was  following  out  the  resem- 
blance between  him  and  the  cross-grained  courtier,  she 
came  across  a  phrase  that  amused  her  immensely.  After 
a  moment  her  smile  deepened,  and  then  as  the  humor  of 
the  scene  continued  to  tickle  her  she  burst  out  laughing. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at,  Kate  ?  "  said  her  husband, 
looking  admiringly  at  her  pretty  face.  Mrs.  Ede  sternly 
continued  her  knitting,  but  Ralph  seemed  so  pleased,  and 
begged  so  good-naturedly  to  be  told  what  the  matter  was, 
that  the  temptation  to  do  so  grew  irresistible. 

"  You  won't  be  angry  if  I  tell  you  ?  " 

"  Angry,  no.     Why  should  I  be  angry  ?  " 

"  You  promise  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  promise,"  replied  Ralph,  extremely  curious. 

"  Well  then,  there  is  a  cha — cha — rac — ter  so — so 
like " 

"  Oh !  if  you  want  to  tell  me  don't  laugh  like  that.  I 
can't  hear  a  word  you  are  saying." 

"  Oh,  it  is  so — so — so  like " 

"  Yes,  but  do  stop  laughing  and  tell  me." 


122  A  Mummer's  Wife 

At  last  Kate  had  to  stop  laughing  for  want  of  breath, 
and  she  said,  her  voice  still  trembling: 

"  Well,  there's  a  fellow  in  this  book — you  promise  not  to 
be  angry  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  promise." 

"  Well  then,  there's  someone  in  this  book  that  does  re- 
mind me  so  much — of  you — that  is  to  say,  when  you  are 
cross,  not  as  you  are  now." 

At  this  announcement  Mrs.  Ede  looked  up  in  astonish- 
ment, and  she  seemed  as  hurt  as  if  Kate  had  slapped  her 
in  the  face.  Ralph's  face,  on  the  contrary,  beamed  with 
the  delight  of  gratified  vanity.  His  front  teeth  showed 
through  the  heavy  mustache,  they  were  set  wide  apart,  but 
the  space  had  been  filled  in  with  some  white  substance, 
which  always  looked  as  if  it  were  going  to  fall  out.  Kate, 
whenever  she  noticed  it  looked  aside.  Ealph,  who  knew 
nothing  of  feminine  revulsions  of  feelings,  with  eager 
curiosity  begged  of  her  to  read  the  passage.  Without  giv- 
ing it  a  second  thought  she  began,  but  she  had  not  read 
half-a-dozen  words  before  Mrs.  Ede  had  gathered  up  her 
knitting  and  was  preparing  to  leave  the  room. 

"  Oh,  mother,  don't  go !    I  assure  you  there's  no  harm." 

"  Leave  her  alone.  I'm  sick  of  all  this  nonsense  about 
religion.  I  should  like  to  know  what  harm  we're  doing," 
said  Ealph. 

Kate  made  a  movement  to  rise,  but  he  laid  his  hand  up- 
on her  arm,  and  a  moment  after  Mrs.  Ede  was  gone. 

"  Oh,  do  let  me  go  and  fetch  her,"  exclaimed  Kate.  "  I 
shouldn't,  I  know  I  shouldn't,  read  these  books.  It  pains 
her  so  much  to  see  me  wasting  my  time.  She  must  be 
right." 

"  There's  no  right  about  it ;  she'd  bully  us  all  if  she  had 
her  way.  Do  be  quiet,  Kate !  Do  as  I  tell  you,  and  let's 
hear  the  story." 

Eelinquishing  another  half-hearted  expostulation  which 
rose  to  her  lips,  Kate  commenced  to  read.  Ealph  was  en- 
chanted, and  deliciously  tickled  at  the  idea  that  he  was 
like  someone  in  print,  he  chuckled  under  his  breath.  Soon 
they  came  to  the  part  that  had  struck  Kate  as  being  so 
particularly  appropriate  to  her  husband.     It  concerned  a 


A  Mummer's  Wife  123 

scene  between  this  ascetic  courtier  and  a  handsome,  middle- 
aged  widow  who  was  passionately  in  love  with  him.  Fre- 
quently she  had  given  him  to  understand  what  her  feelings 
were  on  the  subject  of  himself,  but  on  every  occasion  he 
had  pretended  to  misunderstand  them.  The  humor  of  the 
whole  thing  consisted  in  the  innocence  of  the  lady,  who 
fancied  she  had  not  explained  herself  sufficiently;  and 
harassed  with  this  idea,  she  pursued  the  courtier  from  the 
Court  ball  into  the  illuminated  gardens,  and  there  told 
him,  and  in  language  that  admits  of  no  doubt,  how  she 
wished  to  marry  him.  The  courtier  was  indignant,  and 
answers  her  so  tartly  that  Kate,  even  in  reading  it  a  second 
time  over,  could  not  refrain  from  fits  of  laughter. 

"  It  is — is  so — s — 0  like  what  you  w — wo — uld  say  if  a 
wo — wo — man  were  to  fol — low  you,"  she  said,  with  the 
tears  rolling  down  her  cheeks. 

"Is  it  really?"  asked  Ralph,  joining  in  the  laugh,  al- 
though in  a  way  that  did  not  seem  to  lie  very  genuine.  The 
fact  was  that  he  felt  just  a  little  piqued  at  being  thought 
so  indifferent  to  the  charms  of  the  other  sex.  He  looked 
at  his  wife  for  a  moment  or  two  in  a  curious  sort  of  way, 
trying  to  think  the  while  how  he  should  express  himself. 
At  last  he  said : 

"  I  am  sure  that  if  it  was  my  own  Kate  who  was  there 
I   shouldn't   answer   so   crossly." 

Kate  ceased  laughing,  and  looked  up  at  him  so  suddenly 
that  she  increased  his  embarrassment,  but  the  remem- 
brance that  he  was  after  all  only  speaking  to  his  wife  soon 
came  to  his  aid,  and  confidentially  he  sat  down  beside  her 
on  the  sofa.  Her  first  impulse  was  to  draw  away  from 
him — it  was  so  long  since  he  had  spoken  to  her  thus.  Then 
she  remembered  that  he  was  her  husband. 

"  Could  you  never  love  me  again  if  I  were  very  kind  to 
you?" 

"  Of  course  I  love  you,  Ealph,  but " 

"  So  much  the  more  reason.  It  wasn't  my  fault  if  I 
was  ill — and  you  don't  feel  inclined  to  love  anyone  when 
you're  ill.     Give  me  a  kiss,  dear." 

A  recollection  of  how  slie  had  kissed  Dick  flashed  across 
her  mind,  but  in  an  instant  it  was  gone ;  and,  bending  her 


124  A  Mummer's  Wife 

head,  she  laid  her  lips  to  her  husband's.  It  in  no  way  dis- 
gusted her  to  do  so ;  she  was  glad  of  the  occasion.  She  was 
only  surprised  at  the  dull  and  obtuse  anxiety  she  exper- 
ienced. They  then  spoke  of  indifferent  things,  but  the  flow 
of  conversation  was  often  interrupted  by  complimentary 
phrases.  While  Ealph  discoursed  on  his  mother's  non- 
sense in  always  dragging  religion  into  everything,  Kate 
congratulated  him  on  looking  so  much  better;  and,  as  she 
told  him  of  the  work  that  she  would,  at  all  costs,  have  to 
get  through  before  Friday,  he  either  squeezed  her  hand  or 
said  that  her  hair  was  getting  thicker^  longer,  and  more 

beautiful  than  ever. 

******** 

Next  morning  Kate  received  a  letter  from  Dick,  saying 
he  was  coming  to  Hanley  on  his  return  visit,  and  hoped 
that  he  would  be  able  to  have  his  old  rooms. 


CHAPTEE   IX. 

DESIEE  to  talk  to  Miss  Hender  about  Mr.  Len- 
nox took  precedence  in  Kate's  mind  over  any 
other  thought.  But  that  young  person  would 
not  arrive  for  another  hour,  and  Kate  could  not 
put  off  speaking  to  her  husband.  So  she  profited  by  an 
occasion  when  Mrs.  Ede  was  present  to  hand  him  the  letter. 
Nothing  had  ever  seemed  to  her  so  important  as  that  Dick 
should  not  be  prevented  from  staying  at  her  house.  It  was 
therefore  with  bated  breath  that  she  waited  for  Ralph  to 
speak.  At  last  his  answer  came,  and  it  was  satisfactory. 
He  declared  that  they  could  not  have  a  nicer  lodger  than 
Mr.  Lennox,  and  the  little  he  had  seen  of  him  made  him 
only  desirous  of  renewing  the  acquaintance.  These  were 
Ralph's  shop  phrases,  and  he  continued  all  through  break- 
fast to  eulogize  Mr.  Lennox.  Mrs.  Ede,  whose  opinions 
were  thus  directly  attacked,  said  not  a  word,  but  sat 
munching  her  bread  and  butter  with  apparently  stoical  in- 
difference. But  it  was  not  permitted  to  anyone  to  be  in- 
different to  Ralph's  wishes,  and  determined  to  resent  the 
impertinence,  he  derisively  asked  his  mother  if  she  had 
any  objections. 

"  You're  right  to  do  what  you  like  with  your  rooms ; 
but  I  should  like  to  know  why  you  so  particularly  want 
this  actor  here  ?  One  would  think  he  was  a  dear  friend  of 
yours,  to  hear  you  talk.  Is  it  the  ten  shillings  a  week  he 
pays  for  his  room  you're  hankering  after,  and  the  few  pence 
you  make  out  of  his  breaJ^f asts  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  want  to  keep  my  rooms  let,  and  am 
not  going  to  throw  away  ten  shillings  a  week.  Perhaps 
you'd  like  to  pay  it  yourself ;  you  could  have  all  the  clergy- 
men in  the  town  to  see  you  once  a  week,  and  a  very  nice  tea- 
party  you'd  make  in  the  sitting-room." 

Ralph  was  very  cross  that  morning,  and  he  continued  to 
badger  his  mother  with  the  bitterest  taunts  he  could  select. 


126  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Kate  did  not  interfere,  and  quite  calmly  she  watched  him 
work  himself  into  a  passion.  As  his  rage  increased  his 
ideas  grew  loftier,  until  he  declared  that  he  had  other 
reasons,  more  important  than  the  ten  shillings  a  week, 
for  wishing  to  have  Mr.  Lennox  staying  in  the  house. 
This  statement  caused  Kate  just  a  pang  of  uneasiness,  and 
she  begged  for  an  explanation.  Partly  to  reward  her  for 
having  backed  him  up  in  the  discussion,  and  through  a 
wish  to  parade  his  own  farseeing  views,  he  declared  that 
Mr.  Lennox  might  be  of  great  use  to  them,  if  he  were  so 
inclined,  in  their  little  business.  Kate  could  not  repress 
a  look  of  triumph :  she  knew  now  that  nothing  would  keep 
him  from  having  Mr.  Lennox  in  the  house;  and  wishing 
to  conclude  the  matter  she  said,  as  she  rose  from  table — 

"  Shall  I  write  to  him  to-day,  then,  and  say  that  we  can 
let  him  have  the  rooms  from  next  Monday  ?  " 

Ealph  replied  "  Of  course,"  and  Kate  went  upstairs 
with  Miss  Hender,  who  had  just  come  in.  Then  when  the 
door  of  the  workshop  was  closed  the  little  girls  were  told 
to  move  aside — that  there  was  a  lot  of  cutting  to  be  done. 
This  was  said  preparatory  to  telling  them,  a  little  later  on, 
that  they  were  too  much  in  the  way,  and  would  have  to  go 
down  and  work  in  the  front  kitchen  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Mrs.  Ede.  Miss  Hender  was  at  the  machine, 
stitching  up  the  body  of  a  dress,  but  as  Kate  had  a  dress- 
ing-gown "  in  order,"  she  unrolled  the  blue  silk  and  fid- 
geted round  the  table  as  if  she  had  not  enough  room  for 
laying  out  her  pattern-sheets.  Miss  Hender  noticed  these 
manoeuvres  with  some  surprise,  and  when  Kate  had  said, 
"  Now,  my  dear  children,  I'm  afraid  you  are  very  much  in 
my  way;  you'd  better  go  downstairs,"  she  looked  up  with 
the  expression  of  one  who  expects  to  be  told  a  secret.  This 
manifest  certitude  that  something  was  coming  discoun- 
tenanced Kate,  and  she  thought  it  would  be  better  after 
all  to  say  nothing  about  Mr.  Lennox,  but  again  changing 
her  mind,  she  said,  assuming  an  air  of  indifference : 

"  Mr.  Lennox  will  be  here  on  Monday.  I've  just  got  a 
letter  from  him." 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad ;  for  perhaps,  this  time,  it  will  be 
possible  to  have  one  spree  on  the  strict  q.t." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  127 

Kate  was  thinking  of  exactly  the  same  thing,  but  Miss 
Ilender's  crude  expression  took  the  desire  out  of  her  heart, 
and  she  remained  silent. 

"  I  am  sure  'tis  for  you  he's  coming,"  said  the  assistant. 
"  I  know  he  admires  you ;  I  could  see  it  in  his  eyes.  You 
can  always  see  if  a  man  likes  you  by  his  eyes." 

Although  it  afforded  Kate  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  to 
think  that  Dick  liked  her,  it  was  irritating  to  the  last  de- 
gree to  hear  her  feelings  thus  spoken  of,  and  she  had  begun 
to  regret  that  she  had  ever  mentioned  the  subject  at  all, 
when  Miss  Hender  said : 

"  But  what's  the  use  of  his  coming  if  you  can't  get  out  ? 
A  man  always  expects  a  girl  to  be  able  to  go  with  him. 
The  '  hag '  is  sure  to  be  about,  and  even  if  you  did  manage 
to  give  her  the  slip,  there's  your  husband.  Lord !  I  hadn't 
thought  of  that  l)ef ore.  What  frightful  luck !  Don't  you 
wish  he'd  get  ill  again?  Another  fit  of  asthma  would 
suit  us  down  to  the  ground." 

To  hear  expressed  in  audible  words  what  we  are  ashamed 
to  admit  even  remotely  to  ourselves  is  the  acutest  pain. 
The  blood  rushed  to  Kate's  face,  and  snapping  nervously 
with  the  scissors  in  the  air,  she  said : 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  can  bring  yourself  to  speak  in 
that  way.  How  can  you  think  that  I  would  have  my  hus- 
band ill  so  that  I  might  go  to  the  theatre  with  Mr.  Lennox  ? 
What  do  you  fancy  there  is  between  us  that  makes  you 
say  such  a  thing  as  that  ?  " 

"  Oh !  I  really  don't  know,"  Miss  Hender  answered  with 
a  toss  of  her  head ;  "  if  you  are  going  to  be  as  cross  and 
hoighty-toighty  as  all  that,  there's  no  use  talking." 

On  that  the  conversation  fell  to  the  ground.  Kate 
thought  it  very  provoking  that  Miss  Hender  could  never 
speak  except  in  that  coarse  way.  She  was  a  very  nice  girl, 
very  good-hearted,  and  it  would  be  nice,  convenient  indeed, 
to  be  friendly  with  her;  but  if  she  could  not  keep  herself 
from  making  such  nasty  remarks,  there  was  no  help  for 
it  but  to  treat  her  just  as  a  workwoman  at  so  much  a  day. 
Quite  unwittingly  Miss  Hender  had  inflicted  a  very  deep 
stab ;  the  iron  rankled  deep  in  Kate's  heart.  It  would  have 
given  her  infinite  satisfaction  to  have  said  something  dis- 


128  A  Mummer's  Wife 

agreeable  to  her  freckled-faced  friend,  but  remembering 
that  it  would  be  pleasant  to  go  to  the  theatre,  and  that  the 
only  chance  of  being  able  to  do  so  was  by  their  remaining 
friends,  she  bit  her  lips  and  smothered  her  anger.  Be- 
sides, she  had  let  Miss  Hender  into  a  good  many  of  her 
secrets,  and  it  would  be  most  inconvenient  to  have  her 
turn  round  on  her.     Not  indeed  that  she  supposed  she'd 

be  wicked  enough  to  do  anything  of  the  kind,  but  still 

Inj&uenced  by  these  considerations,  Kate  determined  not 
to  quarrel,  but  to  avoid  speaking  of  Mr.  Lennox  for  the 
future,  at  least  until  there  was  a  definite  reason  for  men- 
tioning his  name,  and  even  with  her  own  people  she  main- 
tained until  Dick  arrived  an  attitude  of  shy  reserve,  de- 
clining on  all  occasions  to  discuss  the  subject  either  with 
her  husband  or  mother-in-law.  "  I  don't  care  whether 
he  comes  or  not;  decide  your  quarrels  as  you  like,  I  have 
had  enough  of  them,"  was  her  invariable  answer.  This 
air  of  indifference  ended  by  annoying  Kalph,  but  she  was 
willing  to  do  that  if  it  saved  her  from  being  forced  into 
expressing  an  opinion — that  was  the  great  point ;  for,  with 
a  woman's  instinct,  she  had  already  divined  that  she  would 
not  be  left  out  of  the  events  of  the  coming  week.  But 
there  was  still  another  reason,  one  hidden  away  almost 
a  secret  from  herself,  and  the  most  feminine  of  them  all. 
Kate  was  somehow  a  little  ashamed  of  her  own  treachery, 
and  she  fancied  it  would  be  less  deceitful  to  remain  silent. 
Otherwise  her  conscience  did  not  trouble  her;  it  was 
crushed  beneath  a  weight  of  desire  and  expectancy,  and 
for  three  or  four  days  she  moved  about  the  house  in  a 
dream.  Like  a  star  in  still  waters,  her  heart  burned  with- 
in her,  and,  in  fear  of  breaking  its  fiery  peace,  she  avoided 
the  family  arguments.  But  in  the  desert  silence  of  her 
brain  she  could  almost  hear  the  striking  of  the  hours,  in 
a  great  lucidity  of  thought  she  could  almost  see  the  sands 
of  the  minutes  as  they  slid  and  fell  into  the  void  behind, 
and,  like  one  in  sleep,  she  submitted  to  her  husband's  new- 
found tenderness.  When  they  met  on  the  stairs,  and  he 
joked  her  about  the  roses  in  her  cheeks,  she  smiled  curi- 
ously, and  begged  him  to  let  her  pass.  But  in  the  work- 
room she  was  happy.     The  mechanical  action  of  sewing 


A  Mummer's  Wife  129 

allowed  her  to  follow  the  train  of  her  dreams  and  drew 
the  attention  of  those  present  away  from  her.  She  had 
tried  her  novels,  hut  the  most  exciting  now  failed  to  fix 
her  thoughts.  The  page  swam  before  her  eyes,  a  confusion 
of  white  and  black  dots,  the  book  in  a  few  minutes  would 
fall  upon  her  lap,  and  she  would  relapse  again  into  think- 
ing of  what  Dick  would  say  to  her,  and  of  the  hours  that 
still  separated  them.  On  Sunday,  without  knowing  why, 
she  insisted  on  attending  all  the  services.  Ealf)h  in  no 
way  cared  for  this  excessive  devotion,  and  he  proposed  to 
take  her  for  a  walk  in  the  afternoon,  but  she  preferred  to 
accompany  ]\Irs.  Ede  to  church. 

The  solemnity  of  the  place  exalted  her  spirits,  and  it 
loosened  the  tension  of  her  thoughts  to  raise  her  voice  in 
the  hymns.  And  in  walking  back  the  old  woman's  gabble 
was  pleasant  to  listen  to ;  it  filled  her  ears  with  a  murmur 
of  meaningless  sound.  But  when  they  arrived  at  home  the 
peace  of  mind  she  had  gained  was  seriously  disturbed  by 
the  discovery  of  Dick's  portmanteau,  which  was  found 
lying  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs.  Ralph  explained  that  he 
had  taken  it  in,  and  was  waiting  for  some  one  to  help  him 
upstairs  with  it.  Never  did  a  woman  regret  the  time  she 
had  spent  in  devotional  exercises  more  than  did  Kate,  and 
even  the  certitude  that  she  would  take  him  up  his  break- 
fast next  morning  seemed  to  her  but  a  poor  consolation. 
"  And  I  have  missed  seeing  him.  Oh !  how  stupid,  how 
stupid !  I  thought  he  wouldn't  be  here  till  Monday,"  she 
whispered  to  herself  a  thousand  times  as  she  arranged  his 
room  and  put  fresh  sheets  on  his  bed.  He  had  told  Ealph 
that  he  had  a  lot  of  business  to  do  with  the  acting  manager, 
and  would  not  return  before  they  went  up  to  prayers ;  still 
Kate  did  not  lose  hope,  and  on  the  off  chance  that  he  might 
feel  tired  offer  his  journey,  and  come  home  earlier  than  he 
expected,  she  endeavored  to  prolong  the  conversation  after 
supper.  By  turns  she  spoke  to  Mrs.  Ede  of  the  sermons 
of  the  day,  and  to  Ralpli  of  the  possibilities  of  enlarging 
their  shop-front.  But  the  old  lady  grew  restive  when  she 
was  forced  to  hear  how  the  actor  was  to  send  them  new 
fashions  from  London,  as  did  Ealph  when  the  conversa- 
tion turned  on  the  relative  merits  of  the  morning  and 
9 


130  A  Mummer's  Wife 

afternoon  sermon.  It  was  the  old  story  of  the  goat  and  the 
cabbage — each  is  uneasy  in  the  other's  company;  and  even 
before  the  usual  time  mother  and  son  agreed  that  it  would 
be  better  to  say  prayers  and  get  to  bed. 

Kate  would  have  given  anything  to  see  Dick  that  night, 
and  she  lay  awake  for  hours  listening  for  the  sound  of  the 
well-known  heavy  footstep.  At  last  it  came,  tramp,  tramp, 
a  dull,  heavy  noisy  flapping  through  the  dark  silence  of 
the  house.  She  trembled,  fearing  that  he  would,  mistaking 
the  door,  come  into  their  room;  if  he  did,  she  felt  she 
would  die  of  shame.  The  footsteps  approached  nearer  and 
nearer;  her  husband  was  snoring  loudly,  and,  casting  a 
glance  at  him,  she  wondered  if  she  should  have  time  to 
push  the  bolt  to.  Immediately  after,  Dick  stumbled  up 
the  steps  into  his  room,  leaving  her  free  to  fall  back  upon 
her  pillow ;  and,  hugging  the  thought  that  he  was  again 
under  her  roof,  dream  of  their  meeting  in  the  morning. 

Kate  had  counted  a  great  deal  on  the  pleasure  of  this 
meeting,  and  she  had  taken  some  trouble  in  considering 
what  his  first  look  would  be  when  she  carried  in  the  break- 
fast tray.  She  was,  however,  disappointed  in  all  her  imag- 
inings. The  duty  of  taking  up  the  hot  water  to  the  lodgers 
devolved  upon  Mrs.  Ede,  it  not  being  considered  proper 
for  Kate  to  go  into  a  gentleman's  room;  but  on  this  occa- 
sion, Mrs.  Ede  being  out,  and  Ralph  in  bed,  as  Dick  con- 
tinued ringing,  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  fill  a  jug 
and  carry  it  up  to  him.  He  was  asleep,  or  rather  dozing, 
when  she  entered,  and  evidently  mistaking  her  for  Mrs. 
Ede,  did  not  open  his  eyes.  Congratulating  herself,  and 
hoping  to  pass  away  unperceived,  Kate  glided  to  the  wash- 
hand-stand,  and  put  down  the  jug.  But  the  clink  of  the 
delf  caused  him  to  look  round. 

"  Oh  !  is  that  you,  Kate  ?  "  he  said,  brushing  aside  with  a 
wave  of  his  bare  arm  his  frizzly  hair.  "  I  didn't  expect  to 
see  so  pretty  a  sight  first  thing  in  the  morning.  And  how 
have  you  been  ?  " 

"  I  am  very  well,  thank  you,  sir,"  Kate  replied,  retreat- 
ing. 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  why  you  should  run  away  like  that. 
What  have  I  done  to  offend  you?     You  know,"  he  said, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  131 

lowering  his  voice  to  a  confidential  whisper,  "  I  didn't 
write  to  you  about  the  poetry  you  sent  me  (at  least  I  sup- 
pose it  was  from  you,  it  had  the  Hanley  post-mark;  if  it 
wasn't  I'll  burn  it),  because  I  was  afraid  that  your  old 
mother  or  your  husband  might  get  hold  of  my  letter." 

"  I  must  go  away  now,  sir ;  your  hot  water  is  there,"  she 
said,  looking  nervously  towards  the  door,  which  was  ajar. 

"  But  tell  me,  wasn't  it  you  who  sent  me  the  verses  ?  I 
have  them  here,  and  I  brought  you  a  little  something,  I 
won't  tell  you  what,  in  return." 

"  I  can't  talk  to  you  now,"  said  Kate,  casting  on  him 
one  swift  glance  of  mingled  admiration  and  love.  Al- 
though somewhat  inclined  to  corpulence,  he  was  a  fine 
man,  and  looked  a  tower  of  strength  as  he  lay  tossed  back 
on  the  pillows,  his  big  arms  and  thick  brown  throat  bare. 
A  flush  rose  to  her  cheeks  when  he  said  that  he  had  brought 
lier  a  little  something ;  her  wildest  dreams  had  not  reached 
further  than  a  hope  that  she  was  not  quite  forgotten.  It 
was  delicious  to  know  that  he  did  not  utterly  despise  her 
poetry,  that  he  had  it  by  him.  .  Nevertheless,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  stop  talking  to  him  now,  and  hoping  to  make  him 
understand  her  position,  she  said,  raising  her  voice : 

"  And  what  can  I  get  you  for  breakfast,  sir  ?  Would  you 
like  an  omelette  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  sha'n't  be  able  to  wait  for  breakfast ;  I  have  to  be 
up  at  our  acting  manager's  by  nine  o'clock.  What  time  is 
it  now?  " 

"  I  think  it's  just  going  the  half-hour,  sir." 

"  Oh,  then,  I  have  lots  of  time  yet,"  replied  Dick,  settling 
himself  in  a  way  that  relieved  Kate  of  all  apprehension  that 
he  was  going  to  spring  out  before  her  on  the  floor. 

"  Then  shall  I  get  you  breakfast,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  thanks,  I  sha'n't  have  time  for  that ;  I  shall  have 
something  to  eat  up  at  Haye's.  But  tell  me,  is  there  anyone 
listening  ?  "  he  said,  lowering  his  voice  again.  "  I  want  to 
speak  to  you  now  particularly,  for  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be  out 
all  day." 

Afraid  that  her  husband  might  overhear  her,  Kate  made 
a  sign  in  i.\xe  negative,  and  whispered — "  To-morrow  at 
breakfast." 


132  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Althoiigli  the  thonglit  that  lie  had  a  present  for  her  made 
her  heart  beat  with  delight,  Kate  was  not  satisfied  with  this 
interview.  She  had  not  imagined  it  like  this.  There  was  a 
vague  idea  of  something  pretty,  something  coquettish  asso- 
ciated in  her  mind  with  carrying  in  his  breakfast  tray 
(doubtless  a  souvenir  of  the  ribbon-bedecked  chambermaids 
she  had  read  of  in  novels),  which  was  absent  in  the  more 
menial  office  of  taking  in  his  hot  water.  Besides,  had  he 
not  told  her  that  he  was  going  to  be  out  all  day? 

The  week  he  was  going  to  remain  with  them  had  at  first 
appeared  to  her  like  a  long  vista  of  days  to  the  end  of  which 
she  could  not  quite  see.  Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday 
she  had  dotted  over  with  little  plans ;  Thursday  and  Friday 
she  knew  nothing  of.  Saturday?  Well,  there  was  just  a 
possibility  that  he  might  not  go  away  without  kissing  her. 
For  this  thought  she  felt  irritated  with  herself,  but  she 
could  not  rid  herself  of  it ;  a  bitter  sense  of  voluptuousness 
burnt  the  while  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart,  and  in  a  sort 
of  deaf  anger  she  railed  again  all  things.  Sunday  she  had 
missed  him,  and  Monday  had  ended  as  abruptly  as  a  barren 
nut.  Even  the  magic  words  that  he  had  brought  her  a 
present  could  not  compensate  for  the  vague  sense  of  dis- 
appointment, and  Miss  Hender's  interminable  questions 
nearly  drove  her  mad,  and  she  already  despaired  of  being 
able  to  go  to  the  theatre.  Nothing  seemed  to  be  going 
right.  It  wasn't  this  she  had  expected,  but  something 
totally  difl^erent.  Even  the  little  gold  earrings  which  Dick 
took  out  of  a  velvet  case  and  wanted  to  piit  into  her  ears 
only  added  a  bitterer  drop  to  her  cup.  All  she  could  do 
was  to  hide  them  away  where  no  one  could  find  them.  It 
tortured  her  to  have  to  tell  him  that  she  could  not  wear 
them,  and  the  kiss  that  he  would  ask  for,  and  she  could  not 
refuse,  seemed  only  a  mockery.  He  was  going  away  on 
Sunday,  and  this  time  she  did  not  know  when  he  would  re- 
turn. In  addition  to  all  these  bitter  disappointments,  she 
found  herself  obliged  to  go  a  long  walk  on  Tuesday  after- 
noon to  see  a  lady  who  had  written  to  her  about  a  dress. 
She  did  not  get  home  until  after  six,  and  then  it  was  only 
to  learn  that  Mr.  Lennox  had  been  about  the  house  all  day, 
idling,  talking  to  Ralph  in  the  shop — that  they  had  gone 


A  Mummer's  Wife  133 

off  to  the  theatre  together.  Mrs.  Ede  was  more  than  indig- 
nant, and  when  the  little  man  was  brought  home  at  night, 
speaking  painfully  in  little  short  gasps,  she  declared  that  it 
was  a  judgment  upon  him.  ISText  day  he  was  unable  to 
leave  his  room.  When  Dick  was  told  what  had  happened 
he  manifested  much  concern,  and  insisted  on  seeing  the 
patient.  Indeed,  the  sympathy  he  showed  was  so  marked 
that  Kate  at  first  was  tempted  to  doubt  its  sincerity.  But 
she  was  wrong.  Dick  was  truly  sorry  for  poor  Ralph,  and 
he  sat  a  long  time  with  him,  thinking  what  could  be  done 
to  relieve  him.  He  laid  all  the  blame  at  his  own  door.  He 
ought  never  to  have  kept  a  person  liable  to  such  a  disease 
out  so  late  at  night.  There  was  a  particular  chair  in  which 
Ralph  always  sat  when  he  was  affected  with  his  asthma. 
It  had  a  rail  on  which  he  could  place  his  feet,  and  thus 
lift  one  knee  almost  on  to  a  level  with  his  chest;  and  in  this 
position,  his  head  on  his  hand,  he  would  remain  for  hours 
groaning  and  wheezing.  Dick  watched  him  with  an  expres- 
sion of  the  most  genuine  sorrow  on  his  big  face.  So  clear 
was  it  that  he  regretted  what  he  had  done  that  for  a  mo- 
ment even  Mrs.  Ede's  heart  was  softened  towards  him. 
But  the  thaw  was  only  momentary;  she  froze  again  into 
stone  when  he  remarked  that  it  was  a  pity  that  Mr.  Ede 
was  ill,  for  they  were  going  to  play  Madame  Angot  on 
Thursday  night,  and  he  wanted  them  all  to  come.  Ralph's 
vanity  was  immensely  flattered,  and  resolved  not  to  be 
behind-hand  in  civility,  he  declared  between  his  gasps  that 
no  one  should  be  disappointed  on  his  account — that  he 
would  feel  highly  complimented  by  Mr.  Lennox's  taking 
Mrs.  Ede  to  the  theatre.  Kate  blushed  violently,  but  Dick 
seemed  in  no  way  put  out,  and  on  the  spot  it  was  arranged 
that  Kate  and  Miss  Hender  should  go  together  on  Thurs- 
day night  to  see  Madame  Angot. 

Suppressing  her  emotion  as  well  as  she  could,  Kate  took 
the  first  opportunity  of  getting  out  of  the  room  and  run- 
ning downstairs  to  tell  Miss  Hender  of  the  good  news. 

She  felt  that  she  must  die  if  any  accident  happened  to 
rob  her  of  this  little  pleasure.  She  had  endured  enough  in 
the  way  of  restraint,  and  could  endure  no  more.  But  noth- 
ing would  occur.    All  that  was  required  of  her  was  to  as- 


134  A  Mummer's  Wife 

sume  an  air  of  indifference,  and  not  betray  herself  to  Mrs. 
Ede,  whom  she  suspected  of  watching  her.  But  her  ex- 
citement rendered  her  nervous,  and  Kate  found  the  cahn 
exterior  she  was  so  desirous  of  imposing  on  herself  difficult 
to  maintain.  The  uncertainty  of  her  husband's  temper 
terrified  her.  It  was  liable  at  any  moment  to  change,  and 
on  tlie  night  in  question  he  might  order  her  not  to  leave 
the  house.  If  so,  she  asked  herself  if  she  would  have  the 
courage  to  disobey  him  ?  The  answer  slipped  from  her :  it 
was  impossible  for  her  to  fix  her  attention  on  anything; 
and  although  she  had  a  press  of  work  on  her  hands,  she 
availed  herself  of  every  occasion  to  escape  to  the  kitchen, 
where  she  might  talk  to  Lizzie  and  Annie  al)Out  the  play, 
and  explain  to  them  the  meaning  of  the  poster,  which  she 
now  understood  thoroughly.  Their  childish  looks  and  ques- 
tions soothed  the  emotions  that  were  burning  within  her. 

Thursday  morning  especially  seemed  interminable,  but 
at  last  the  long-watched  clock  on  the  staircase  struck  the 
wished-for  hour,  and  still  settling  their  bonnet-strings, 
Kate  and  Miss  Hender  strolled  in  the  direction  of  the 
theatre.  The  evening  was  dry  and  clear,  and  beyond  Stoke, 
over  an  embrasure  of  the  hills,  the  sun  was  setting  in  a  red 
and  yellow  mist.  The  streets  were  full  of  people;  and 
where  Piccadilly  opens  into  the  market-place,  groups  and 
couples  of  factory  girls  were  eagerly  talking,  some  stretch- 
ing forward  in  a  pose  that  showed  a  lost  profile;  others, 
graver  of  face,  walking  straight  as  reeds,  with  their  hands 
on  their  right  hips,  the  palms  flat,  and  the  fingers  half  en- 
circling the  narrow  waists. 

"  How  deuced  glad  you  must  be  to  get  out,"  said  Miss 
Hender.  "  To  be  cooped  up  in  the  way  you  are !  I  couldn't 
stand  it." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  can  enjoy  myself  all  the  more  when  I 
do  get  out." 

Kate  would  have  liked  to  answer  more  tartly,  but,  on 
second  thoughts,  she  decided  it  was  not  worth  while.  It 
bored  her  to  be  reminded  of  the  humdrum  life  she  led,  and 
to  be  told  perpetually  that  it  was  extraordinary  that  she 
bad  been  to  the  theatre  only  twice  in  her  life.  Of  this  fact 
she  now  felt  deeply  ashamed,  particularly  when  it  was 


A  Mummer's  Wife  135 

mentioned  in  Dick's  presence;  and  for  some  time  back  she 
had  been  secretly  determining  to  reform  her  life  in  the  way 
of  its  pleasures. 

"  We're  too  soon,"  said  Miss  Hender,  breaking  in  jauntily 
on  Kate's  reflections ;  "  the  doors  aren't  open  yet." 

"  I  can  see  that." 

"  But  what  are  you  so  cross  about  ?  "  asked  Miss  Hender, 
who  was  not  aware  of  what  was  passing  in  her  mistress's 
mind. 

"  I'm  cross  about  nothing  at  all.  But  how  long  shall  we 
have  to  wait?  Mr.  Lennox  said  he'd  meet  us  here,  didn't 
he?" 

"  Oh,  he  can't  be  long  now,  for  here  comes  Wentworth 
with  the  keys  to  open  the  doors." 

The  street  they  were  in  was  wide.  At  the  far  end  it 
branched  to  the  right  and  left  rectangularly.  Opposite 
were  large  flat  walls,  red  in  color,  and  roofed  like  a  barn, 
and  before  one  black  doorway  some  fifty  or  sixty  people  had 
collected.  The  manager  pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd, 
and  soon  after,  like  a  snake  into  a  hole,  the  line  began 
to  disappear.  Miss  Hender  explained  that  this  was  the 
way  to  the  pit,  and  that  the  stage  entrance  was  what  Kate 
took  for  a  cellar.  A  young  man  with  a  big  nose,  whom  she 
recognized  as  Mr.  Montgomery,  stared  at  them  as  he  passed ; 
then  came  two  ladies — Miss  Leslie  and  Miss  Beaumont. 
Dick  did  not  appear  for  some  time  after,  but  at  last  the  big 
hat  was  seen  coming  along.  Although,  as  usual,  in  a  great 
hurry,  he  was  apparently  much  pleased  to  see  them,  and  he 
offered  Kate  his  arm  and  conducted  her  across  the  street 
into  the  theatre. 

"  You're  a  bit  early,  you  know.  The  curtain  doesn't  go 
up  for  haif-an-hour  yet,"  he  said,  as  they  ascended  a  high 
flight  of  steps,  at  the  top  of  which  sat  a  woman  with  tickets 
in  her  hand. 

"  We  were  afraid  of  being  too  late." 

"  It  was  very  good  of  you  to  come.  I  hope  3'"ou  will  have 
a  pleasant  evening;  it  would  be  quite  a  treat  to  act  when 
you  were  in  the  house." 

"  But  aren't  you  going  to  act,  sir  ?  " 

"  You  mustn't  call  me  sir ;  everybody  calls  me  Dick ;  and 


136  A  Mummer's  Wife 

I  don^t  know  anj^one  wlio  has  a  better  right  to  do  so  than 
you/' 

"  But  aren't  you  going  to  act,  Di ?    I  can't  say  it." 

"  I  don't  call  it  acting.  I  come  on  in  the  first  act.  I 
just  do  that  to  save  the  salary,  for,  you  know,  I  have  an 
interest  in  the  tour." 

Kate  had  no  idea  as  to  what  was  meant  by  having  "  an 
interest  in  the  tour,"  and  fearing  to  waste  her  present  hap- 
piness in  questions,  she  did  not  ask.  Her  attention  was 
concentrated  on  the  big  man  by  her  side,  and  her  observa- 
tion of  all  things  aboiit  her  was  as  if  diffused,  and  gave  her 
no  exact  idea  of  their  extent  or  character.  She  scarcely 
knew  she  was  in  a  theatre,  and  had  as  yet  perceived  neither 
the  star-light  nor  the  drop-curtain.  Dick  spoke  to  her  of 
herself,  of  himself;  but  he  said  nothing  that  recalled  any 
of  the  realities  of  her  life,  and  when  he  suddenly  lifted  his 
hand  from  hers  and  whispered,  "  Here  comes  Miss  Hender. 
We  mustn't  appear  too  intimate  before  her,"  she  exper- 
ienced the  sensation  of  one  awaking  out  of  a  most  delicious 
dream. 

Immediately  after  Miss  Hender  had  cast  a  last  retort  at 
the  two  men  with  whom  she  was  chaffing,  and  descending 
through  the  chairs,  said — 

"  Mr.  Lennox,  you  arc  wanted  behind." 

Promising  to  see  them  again  when  the  act  was  over,  Dick 
hastened  away,  and  Miss  Hender,  after  settling  herself  in 
her  chair,  looked  at  Kate  in  a  way  which  said  as  distinctly 
as  words,  "  Well,  my  young  woman,  you  do  go  it  when 
you're  out  on  the  loose."  But  she  refrained  from  putting 
her  thoughts  into  words,  possibly  because  she  feared  to  turn 
her  mistress  from  what  she  considered,  too  obviously  indeed, 
to  be  the  right  path. 

They  were  sitting  in  the  middle  division  of  a  gallery 
divided  into  three  parts.  The  brown  twilight  was  unbroken 
except  by  the  yellow-painted  backs  of  the  chairs;  and  a 
series  of  mirrors,  enframed  in  black  wood,  decorated  the 
walls,  and  reflected  monotonously  different  small  corners  of 
the  house.  Only  a  dozen  or  fifteen  people  had  as  yet  come 
in,  and  they  moved  about  like  melancholy  shades ;  or,  when 
sitting  still,  seemed  like  ink-spots  on  a  dark  background. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  137 

Kate  and  Miss  Hender  gazed  into  the  night  of  the  pit, 
which  extended  to  the  line  of  the  orchestra.  Through  this 
huge  space  an  agitated  roll  progressed  in  one  direction, 
and  a  darkness  similar  to  that  seen  at  sea  slumbered  over 
the  heads  of  the  people.  These  could  not  readily  be  dis- 
tinguished, but  a  bald  head  or  a  bunch  of  yellow  flowers 
in  a  woman's  bonnet  appeared  for  an  instant  like  the  crest 
of  a  wave.  Overhead  the  darkness  was  still  more  sombre ;  a 
dozen  pale  jets  of  a  miserable  iron  gas-fixing  hanging  out  of 
the  tenebrous  shadows  of  the  roof  struggled  in  the  middle 
gloom,  leaving  the  outlines  of  the  muses  that  decorated  the 
cone  of  this  warehouse-looking  theatre  as  undefinable  as  the 
silhouettes  of  the  shopkeepers  in  the  pit.  But  if  there  was 
not  sufficient  light  whereby  to  examine  the  figures  on  the 
roof,  the  blue  of  the  drop-curtain  triumphed  over  every 
shadow.  This  picture  was  made  up  of  a  lake  bluer  than 
anything  ever  seen,  except  the  sky  above  it ;  the  boats  were 
in  rich  brown,  and  the  sailors  seemed  to  wear  live  coals  of 
fire  in  lieu  of  caps  on  their  heads. 

Kate  had  not  been  to  the  theatre  since  the  first  year 
of  her  marriage.  Of  the  story  of  the  play  she  had  seen  per- 
formed she  preserved  still  a  vague  remembrance,  although 
all  its  surroundings  and  adjuncts  were  completely  for- 
gotten. Since  then  a  rapid  glance  at  the  red  house  as  she 
passed  up  Queen  Street,  and  an  occasional  dispute  between 
her  mother-in-law  and  husljand  regarding  the  wickedness 
he  had  been  guilty  of,  in  having  taken  his  wife  to  such  a 
place,  was  all  she  had  to  keep  her  memory  fresh  on  the 
subject.  But  her  interest  was  now  of  a  different  nature. 
She  had  come  with  the  man  who,  had  she  examined  her 
conscience  for  a  moment,  she  would  have  seen  already  pos- 
sessed her  utterly.  She  had  come  to  see  him  act — to  see  him 
dressed  in  fine  clothes,  to  hear  him  singing  songs,  saying 
beautiful  things ;  she  didn't  know  what,  but  something  out- 
side, beyond  the  limits  of  her  experience. 

To  act !  Who  shall  explain  the  miracle  !  The  very  word 
tells  us  it  is  an  untruth,  and  yet  how  quickly  do  we  forget 
the  prosaic  individuality  of  the  actor  in  the  poetry  and  the 
silken  hose  of  the  Prince  of  Denmark !  The  intellect,  at 
least  all  the  sense  of  logic,  appears  for  the  time  to  be  in 


138  A  Mummer's  Wife 

total  abeyance.  The  mad  are  not  more  certain  of  the 
actuality  of  their  delusions.  And  it  would  seem  that  it  is 
not  the  truth  nor  the  beauty  of  what  is  passing  before  our 
eyes  that  so  entirely  fevers  and  passions  us.  The  baldest 
melodrama  often  wins  the  most  tears ;  the  most  improbable 
farce  often  convulses  us  with  the  most  violent  laughter; 
and  if  we  are  thus  deceived,  what  then  must  have  been  the 
extent  and  depth  of  the  deception  created  in  Kate's  mind  ? 
She  was  a  simple  woman  of  the  people,  whose  febrile  and 
vacillating  imagination  had  on  one  side  been  crushed  and 
repressed  by  the  circumscribing  and  monotonous  routine 
of  her  humble  life,  and  on  the  other  exalted  by  the  fervour 
of  a  faith  which,  although  it  had  not  been  able  to  mould  her 
character,  had  nevertheless  endowed  it  with  a  certain  ideal- 
ism of  thought;  and  when  to  these  influences  are  added 
the  demoralising  effects  of  hundreds  of  sentimental  and 
romantic  stories,  read  in  her  early  youth,  it  will  be  under- 
stood with  what  abandonment  of  the  senses,  with  what 
alienation  of  the  brain,  Kate  threw  herself  into  the  enjoy- 
ment of  this  evening ;  with  what  frenzy  she  waited  for  Dick, 
who  was  going  that  night  to  act  for  her. 

The  musicians  had  now  taken  their  places  in  the  orches- 
tra ;  the  discord  attendant  on  the  tuning  of  the  instruments 
commenced,  and  across  the  dark  pit  the  profiles  of  fiddlers 
were  seen  curiously  bent  forward,  their  features  etched 
darkly  against  the  round  spots  of  light  which  the  reading- 
lamps  tlirew  on  the  music-paper. 

"  They  are  going  to  begin  now,"  said  Miss  Hender. 

"  Are  they  ?  "  replied  Kate  eagerly. 

"  Of  course ;  here's  Montgomery." 

And  from  under  the  stage  the  thin  young  man  came  up 
with  a  swagger,  pushing  his  glasses  higher  on  his  beak- 
like nose.  Then  taking  his  place  on  the  high  stool,  he 
squared  his  shoulders,  looked  around,  waved  his  stick,  and 
the  sweet  capricious  music  flowed  on  in  all  its  delightful 
suggestiveness  of  folly  and  light  love. 

It  was  now  three  months  since  the  first  idea  of  going  to 
the  theatre  had  been  suggested  to  Kate,  and  in  the  hours 
of  waiting  the  desire  to  possess  had  been  laboriously,  se- 
cretly at  work  in  her  heart,  and  had  constructed  in  her 


A  Mummer's  Wife  139 

imagination  a  world  of  phantasmal  splendor,  of  super- 
human pleasure,  the  vague  concealing  veils  of  vsdiich  were 
now  being  lifted  as  the  curtain  was  going  up  on  the  opera- 
bouffe  of  Madame  Angot. 

The  sparkling  marriage  chorus,  with  the  fanciful  peas- 
ants and  the  still  more  fanciful  bridegroom  in  silk,  the 
bright  appearance  of  Clairette  at  the  window,  and  the 
sympathy  awakened  by  her  love  for  the  devil-may-care 
revolutionary  poet,  dazzled  and  seduced  Kate  like  a  sensual 
dream,  and  in  all  she  saw  and  felt  there  was  a  mingled 
sense  of  nearness  and  remoteness,  a  divine  concentration, 
and  an  absence  of  her  own  proper  individuality.  Never 
had  she  heard  such  music.  How  suave  it  was  compared 
with  the  austere  and  regular  rhythm  of  the  hymns  she 
sang  in  church  !  The  gay  tripping  measure  of  the  market- 
woman's  song  filled  her  with  visions  and  laughter,  bright 
as  the  sunlight  on  faces  of  young  girls  dancing  under 
cherry-trees.  There  was  an  accent  of  insincerity  in  the  sere- 
nade, which  troubled  her  as  sudden  cloud  might  the  dreams 
of  the  most  indolent  of  lazzaroni,  but  the  beseeching  pas- 
sion of  the  duet  revealed  to  her  sympathies  for  parting 
lovers  that  even  her  favorite  poetry  had  been  impotent  to 
do.  The  melting  chords  were  as  molten  lead  poured  into 
her  heart,  and  all  her  musical  sensibilities  rushed  to  her 
head  like  wine ;  it  was  only  by  a  violent  effort,  full  of  acute 
pain,  that  she  saved  herself  from  raising  her  voice  with 
those  of  the  singers,  and  dreading  a  giddiness  that  might 
precipitate  her  into  the  pit,  she  remained  staring  blindly 
at  the  stage. 

Her  happiness  would  have  been  complete,  if  such  vio- 
lent emotions  can  be  called  happiness,  had  it  not  been  for 
Miss  Hender.  This  young  person,  actuated  probably  by  a 
desire  of  displaying  her  knowledge,  could  not  be  prevented 
from  talking.  As  each  actor  or  actress  entered  she  ex- 
plained their  position  in  the  company,  and  all  she  knew 
of  their  habits  in  private  life.  Mr.  Mortimer's  dispute 
the  other  night  with  Bill,  the  scene-shifter,  necessitated 
quite  a  little  tirade  against  drunkenness,  and  as  it  was 
necessary  to  tell  of  what  had  been  said  in  the  ladies'  dress- 
ing-room, a  description  of  Miss  Beaumont's  underclothing 


140  A  Mummer's  Wife 

was  introduced ;  it  was  very  elegant,  silk  stockings  and  lace- 
trimmed  chemises ;  whereas  Miss  Leslie's  was  declared  to  be 
much  j)lainer.  Once  or  twice  Miss  Hender  was  asked  to 
keep  quiet,  but  Kate  did  not  much  mind.  The  thunder  of 
applause  which  rose  from  a  pit  filled  with  noisy  factory 
boys  and  girls  was  accepted  in  good  faith,  and  it  floated 
through  her  mind,  elevating  and  exciting  her  emotions  as 
the  roar  of  the  breakers  on  the  shore  does  the  dreams  of  a 
dreamer  awaiting  the  rising  of  a  star.  But  the  star  she  was 
expecting  had  not  yet  appeared.  She  had  seen  Miss  Leslie, 
Miss  Beaumont,  Joe  Mortimer,  and  Frank  Bret,  and  num- 
berless other  people,  who  had  appeared  in  all  sorts  of  dresses 
and  had  sung  all  kinds  of  enchanting  songs,  but  Dick  was 
nowhere  to  be  found.  She  had  searched  vainly  for  him  in 
the  maze  of  color  that  was  being  flashed  before  her  eyes. 
Would  he  appear  as  a  king,  a  monk,  a  shepherd,  or  would 
he  wear  a  cocked-hat?  She  did  not  know,  and  was  too 
bewildered  to  think.  She  had  a  dim  notion  that  he  would 
do  something  wonderful,  set  everything  to  rights — that 
they  would  all  bow  down  before  him  when  he  entered,  and 
she  watched  every  motion  of  the  crowd,  expecting  it  every 
moment  to  make  way  for  him.  But  he  did  not  appear,  and 
at  last  they  all  went  away  singing.  Her  heart  sank  within 
her,  but  just  when  she  had  begun  to  lose  hope,  two  men 
rushed  across  the  stage,  and  commenced  to  spy  about  and 
make  plans.  At  first  Kate  did  not  recognize  her  lover,  so 
completely  was  he  disguised,  but  soon  the  dreadful  truth 
commenced  to  dawn  on  her.  Oh,  misery !  Oh,  horror ! 
How  could  this  be?  And  she  closed  her  eyes  to  shut  oiit 
her  dreadful  disappointment.  Why  had  he  done  this 
thing?  She  had  expected  a  king,  and  had  found  a  police- 
man. 

"  There  he  is,  there  he  is ! "  whispered  Miss  Hender. 
"  Don't  you  see,  'tis  he  who  does  the  policeman  ?  A  French 
policeman,  you  know;  he  drags  the  bride  away  at  the  end 
of  the  act." 

Poor  Kate  felt  very  unhappy  indeed.  Her  fanciful  house 
of  cards  had  fallen  down  and  crushed  her  under  the  ruins. 
She  felt  she  could  no  longer  take  an  interest  in  anything. 
The  rest  of  the  act  was  torture  to  her.     What  pleasure 


A  Mummer's  Wife  141 

could  it  be  to  her  to  see  her  lover,  looking  hideous,  drag  a 
bride  away  from  her  intended  ?  Had  it  not  been  for  shame 
of  Miss  Render,  she  thought,  she  would  have  left  the  thea- 
tre: the  fall  of  the  curtain  closing  the  ugly  vision  came 
as  a  welcome  relief :  and  when  Dick,  looking  no  worse  for 
his  impersonation  of  the  foreign  policeman,  sat  down  by 
her  side  her  embarrassment  was  increased. 

"  Well,  how  did  you  like  the  piece,  dear  ?  " 

"  Oh !  very  much,"  returned  Kate  plaintively,  fearing 
she  was  being  laughed  at. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  didn't,"  replied  Dick,  laying  his  hand 
affectionately  on  hers,  a  movement  which  caused  Miss  Hen- 
der  to  retire  precipitately.  Kate  begged  of  her  to  stay,  but 
she  said  she  had  to  speak  to  the  manager  on  some  business 
which  she  had  until  now  forgotten. 

"  Why  do  you  want  her  to  stay  ?  "  said  Dick,  "  don't  you 
like  being  alone  with  me  ?  "  Kate  answered  him  with  a 
look,  wondering  all  the  while  what  could  have  induced  him 
to  play  the  part  of  that  ugly  policeman.  "  I'm  sure  you 
didn't  like  the  piece,"  he  continued,  "  and  yet  I  must  say 
from  behind  it  seemed  to  go  very  well ;  but  then  there  are 
so  many  things  you  miss  from  the  wings." 

Kate  understood  nothing  of  what  he  said,  but  seeing  that 
he  was  terribly  sincere,  and  fearing  to  pain  him,  she  hast- 
ened to  give  the  piece  her  unqualified  approbation. 

"  I  assure  you  I  couldn't  have  liked  anything  more,  the 
music  is  so  pretty." 

"  And  how  did  you  think  I  looked  ?  It  is  only  a  small 
part,  you  know,  but  at  the  same  time  it  requires  to  be 
played.  '  If  there  isn't  some  go  put  into  it  the  finale  all  goes 
to  pot." 

Now  Kate  felt  sure  he  was  quizzing  her,  and  at  length  she 
said,  the  desire  to  speak  her  mind  triumphing  over  her  shy- 
ness, "  But  why  did  you  make  yourself  look  like  that  ?  It 
wasn't  a  nice  part,  was  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  only  a  trumpery  bit  of  a  thing,  but  it  is  better  for 
me  to  take  it  than  have  another  salary  on  the  list.  In  the 
next  act,  you  know,  I  come  on  as  the  captain  of  the  guard." 

"  And  will  that  be  nice  ?  "  Kate  asked,  her  face  flushing 
at  the  idea  of  seeing  her  lover  in  a  red  coat. 


142  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  looks  well  enough,  but  it  isn't  an  acting 
part.  I  am  only  on  for  a  few  minutes.  I  am  only  supposed 
to  come  on  in  search  of  the  conspirators.  I  take  a  turn  or 
two  of  the  waltz  with  Miss  Beaumont,  who  plays  Lange, 
and  it  is  all  over.  Have  you  ever  heard  the  waltz  ?  "  Kate 
never  had ;  so  drawing  her  close  to  him,  he  sang  in  her  ear 
the  soft  flowing  melody.  In  her  nervousness  she  passion- 
ately squeezed  his  hand,  and  this  encouraged  him  to  say, 
"  How  I  wish  it  were  you  that  I  had  to  dance  with !  how 
nice  it  would  be  to  hold  you  in  my  arms !  Would  you  like 
to  be  in  my  arms  ?  " 

Kate  looked  at  him  appealingly;  but  nothing  more  was 
said,  and  soon  after  Dick  remembered  he  had  to  get  the 
stage  ready  for  the  second  act.  As  he  hurried  away.  Miss 
Hender  appeared.  She  had  been  round  to  the  "  pub  "  to 
have  a  drink  with  Bill,  and  had  been  behind  talking  to  her 
ladies,  who  were  all,  as  she  said,  "  full  of  Dick's  new  mash." 

"  They  have  seen  you,  and  are  as  jealous  as  a  lot  of  cats." 

"  It  is  very  wicked  of  them  to  say  there's  anything 
between  Mr.  Lennox  and  me,"  replied  Kate,  angrily.  "  I 
suppose  they  think  everybody  is  like  themselves — a  lot  of 
actresses." 

Miss  Hender  made  no  answer,  but  she  turned  up  her 

nose  at  what  she  considered  to  be  d insulting  to  the 

profession. 

However,  in  a  few  minutes,  when  her  indignation  evap- 
orated, she  called  Kate's  attention  to  what  a  splendid 
house  it  was. 

"  I  can  tell  you  what,  with  a  shilling  pit,  a  sixpenny 
gallery,  and  the  centre  and  side  circles  pretty  well  full,  it 
soon  runs  up.  There  must  be  nigh  on  seventy  pounds  in ; 
and  that  for  Thursday  night !  " 

They  were  now  well  on  in  the  second  act.  The  brilliancy 
of  the  "  Choeur  des  Merveilleuses,"  the  pleading  pity  of 
"  She  is  such  a  simple  little  thing,"  the  quaint  drollery  of 
the  conspirators,  had  almost  made  Kate  forget  the  asper- 
sions cast  on  her  character.  The  light  music  foamed  in  her 
head  like  champagne,  and  in  a  whirling  sense  of  intoxica- 
tion a  vision  of  Dick  in  a  red  coat  passed  and  repassed  be- 
fore her.    But  for  this  she  had  to  wait  a  long  time.    How- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  143 

ever,  at  last  the  sounds  of  trumpets  were  heard,  and  those 
on  the  stage  cried  that  the  soldiers  were  coming.  Kate's 
heart  throbbed,  a  mist  swam  before  her  eyes,  and  immedi- 
ately after  came  a  sense  of  bright  calm;  for,  in  all  the 
splendor  of  uniform,  Dick,  big  and  stately,  entered  at  the 
head  of  a  regiment  of  girls  in  red  tights.  The  close-fitting 
jacket  had  reduced  his  size,  the  top-boots  gave  a  dignity  to 
his  legs.  He  was  doubtless  a  fine  man ;  to  Kate  he  was  more 
than  divine.  Then  the  waltz  began,  the  sweet  undulating 
tune  he  had  sung  in  her  ears,  and  casting  a  glance  of  ex- 
planation in  the  direction  of  the  gallery,  he  put  his  arm 
round  Miss  Beaumont's  waist.  The  action  caused  Kate 
a  heart -pang,  but  the  strangeness  of  the  scene  she  was  wit- 
nessing distracted  her  thoughts.  For  immediately  the 
other  actors  and  actresses  in  their  startling  dresses  selected 
partners,  and  the  stage  seemed  transformed  into  a  wonder- 
ful garden  of  color  swinging  to  the  music  of  a  fountain, 
which  under  the  inspiration  of  the  moonlight,  broke  from 
its  monotonous  chant  into  rhythmical  variations.  Dick, 
like  a  great  tulip  in  his  red  uniform,  turned  in  the  middle, 
and  Miss  Beaumont  in  her  long  yellow  dress  sprawled  upon 
him.  Each  time  she  passed  in  front,  through  her  dress, 
which  was  open  on  both  sides,  her  thick  pink  legs  were  seen 
to  the  knees,  which  Kate  for  disgust  strove  not  to  see. 
Miss  Leslie  in  her  bride's  dress  bloomed  a  lily  white,  as  she 
danced  with  a  man  whose  red  calves  and  thighs  seemed  pro- 
longed into  his  very  chest.  La  Rivodiere  cast  despairing 
glances  at  Lange,  poor  Pomponet  strove  to  get  to  his  bride, 
and  all  the  blonde  wigs  and  black  collars  of  the  conspirators 
were  mixed  amid  the  strange  poke  bonnets  of  the  ladies, 
and  the  long  swallow-tailed  coats,  reaching  almost  to  the 
ground,  flapped  in  and  out  of  the  legs  of  the  female  sol- 
diers. Kate  smiled  feebly  and  drank  in  the  music  of  the 
waltz.  It  was  played  over  again ;  like  a  caged  canary's  song 
it  haunted  Clariette's  orange-blossoms,  like  the  voluptuous 
thrill  of  a  nightingale  singing  in  a  rose-garden  it  flowed 
about  Lange's  heavy  draperies  and  glistening  bosom,  like 
the  varied  chant  of  the  mocking  bird  it  came  from  under 
Ange  Pitou's  cocked-hat.  It  was  sung  separately  and  in 
unison,  and  it  penetrated,  winding  and  unwinding  itself. 


144  A  Mummer's  Wife 

into  the  deepest  recesses  with  the  long  undulations  of  a 
beautiful  snake  and  the  mystery  of  a  graceful  cat.  It 
went  and  it  came,  stretching  forth  invisible  hands,  as  might 
sirens  leaning  out  of  blue  ocean  waters;  it  whispered,  as 
they  might,  of  fair  pleasure  places  where  scent,  and  music, 
and  love  are  one,  where  lovers  never  grow  weary,  and 
where  kisses  endure  for  ever.  She  was  conscious  of  deep 
self-contentment,  of  dreamy  idleness,  of  sad  languor,  and 
the  charm  to  which  she  abandoned  herself  resembled  the 
enervations  of  a  beautiful  climate,  the  floating  softness  of 
a  church,  and  she  yearned  for  her  lover  and  the  fanciful 
life  of  which  he  was  the  centre,  as  one  might  for  some  ideal 
fatherland.  On  the  sweet  current  of  the  music  she  was 
carried  far  away,  far  beyond  the  great  hills  into  a  land  of 
sleep,  dream,  and  haze,  and  a  wonderful  tenderness  swam 
within  her  as  loose  and  as  dim  as  the  green  sea  depths  that 
a  wave  never  stirs.  She  struggled,  but  it  was  only  as  one 
in  a  dream  strives  to  lift  himself  out  of  the  power  that 
holds ;  and  when  the  conductor  waved  his  stick  for  the  last 
time,  and  the  curtain  came  down  amid  deafening  applause, 
irritated  and  enervated,  she  shrank  from  Miss  Hender,  as 
if  anxious  not  to  be  wholly  awakened. 

The  third  act  passed  she  scarcely  knew  how.  She  was 
overborne  and  over  tempted ;  all  her  blood  seemed  to  be  in 
her  head  and  heart,  and,  from  time  to  time,  she  was  shaken 
with  quick  shudderings. 

When  Dick  came  to  see  her  she  scarcely  understood  what 
he  said  to  her,  and  it  annoyed  her  not  to  be  able  to  answer 
him.  When  the  word  love  was  pronounced  she  smiled,  but 
her  smile  was  one  of  pain,  and  she  could  not  rouse  herself 
from  a  sort  of  sad  ecstasy  in  which  she  was  plunged.  Glad  as 
the  tunes  might  be, there  was  to  her  a  savor  of  cynicism  in 
all  the  merriment.  A  fathomless  grief  seemed  to  be  vaguely 
reflected  therein,  and  occasionally  it  startled  her  happiness. 

But  when,  like  an  irritating  dream,  the  music  came  to 
an  end,  she  found  herself  walking  in  the  street  with  Dick. 
It  was  a  lovely  night.  A  large  gold  moon  swam  through 
the  clear  September  sky,  and  the  streets  were  filled  with 
long  spaces  of  light  and  shadow. 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  145 

"  How  nice  it  is  to  be  here  out  of  that  hot,  stuffy  theatre/' 
said  Dick,  putting  his  arm  round  her. 

"  Oh,  do  you  think  so  ?  I  could  listen  to  that  music  for- 
ever." 

"  It  is  pretty,  isn't  it  ?  I'm  so  glad  you  liked  it.  I  told 
you  the  waltz  was  lovely." 

"  Lovely !  I  should  think  so.     I  shall  never  forget  it." 

And  losing  her  habitual  shyness  in  her  enthusiasm,  she 
sang  the  first  bars  with  her  face  raised  towards  her  lover's ; 
then  gaining  courage  from  his  look  of  astonishment  and 
pleasure,  she  gave  all  the  modulations  with  her  full  voice. 

"  By  Jove,  you  have  a  deuced  nice  soprano,  and  a  devilish 
good  ear,  too.  'Pon  my  soul,  you  sing  that  waltz  as  well 
as  Beaumont." 

"  Oh,  Dick,  you  mustn't  laugh  at  me." 

"  I  swear  I'm  not  laughing.  Sing  it  again,  nobody's 
listening." 

They  were  standing  in  the  sade  of  a  large  warehouse, 
whose  line  of  slates  made  a  crescent  of  the  full  moon.  The 
silence  of  the  street  was  clear  as  silver,  and  amid  the  re- 
verberating yards  and  brickways  the  voice  sounded  as  pene- 
trating and  direct  as  a  flute.  The  exquisite  accuracy  of 
Kate's  ear  enabled  her  to  give  each  note  its  just  value. 
Dick  was  astonished,  and  he  said  when  she  had  finished — 

"  I  really  don't  want  to  flatter  you,  but  with  a  little  teach- 
ing you  would  sing  far  better  than  Beaumont.  Your  ear  is 
perfect ;  it  is  the  production  of  the  voice  that  wants  looking 
to.    'Tis,  of  course,  a  bit  throaty." 

Kate  did  not  answer,  and  suffocated  with  secret  joy,  she 
walked  by  Dick's  side.  She  was  conscious  of  having  in- 
terested him  in  herself  as  she  had  not  done  before.  Now 
he  treated  her  as  an  equal.  He  talked  to  her  of  the  dif- 
ferent tunes,  listened  to  what  she  had  to  say,  and  encour- 
aged her  to  try  to  recall  the  rest  of  the  music.  At  every 
twenty  yards  he  would  stop  to  beg  of  her  to  repeat,  and  he 
showed  her  how  to  emphasize  the  air  of  certain  songs.  In 
particular  he  was  anxious  that  she  should  learn  the  legend 
of  Madame  Angot.  And  so  deeply  interested  were  they, 
that,  indifferent  to  time  or  place,  they  raised  their  voices, 
10 


146  A  Mummer's  Wife 

and  went  through  the  action  of  the  hands  on  the  hips  and 
shakes  of  the  head  that  the  song  required. 

"  Now/'  said  Dick,  "  I'll  sing  the  symphony,  and  we'll 
go  througli  it  with  all  the  effects — one^,  two,  three,  four, 
ta  ra  ta  ta  ta  ta  ta." 

But  as  Kate  attacked  the  first  bar  it  was  taken  up  by 
three  or  four  male  voices,  the  owners  of  which,  judging  by 
the  sound,  could  not  be  more  than  forty  or  fifty  yards 
away. 

"  Here's  Montgomery,  Joe  Mortimer,  and  all  that  lot.  I 
wouldn't  for  anything  be  caught  here  with  you." 

"  By  going  up  to  this  passage  we  can  get  home  in  two 
minutes." 

"  Can  we  ?  Well,  let's  cut ;  but  no,  they  are  too  close  on 
us.  Do  you  go,  dear;  I'll  remain  and  tell  them  it  was  a 
lady  singing  out  of  that  window.  Here,  take  my  latchkey. 
Off  you  go." 

Without  another  word  Kate  fled  down  the  alley,  and 
Dick  was  left  to  explain  whatever  he  pleased  concerning 
the  mythical  lady  whom  he  declared  he  had  been  serenad- 
ing. 

When  Kate  arrived  home  that  night  she  lay  awake  for 
hours,  restlessly  tossing,  her  brain  whirling  with  tunes 
and  parts  of  tunes.  The  conspirators'  chorus,  the  waltz 
song,  the  legend,  and  a  dozen  disconnected  fragments  of 
the  opera  all  sang  together  in  her  ears,  and  under  strange 
conditions  she  continued  to  take  singing  lessons  from  Dick. 
The  profound  and  intimate  happiness  caused  by  the  certain 
knowledge  that  he  loved  her  did  not  leave  her,  and  when 
next  morning  she  met  Miss  Hender  she  could  withhold 
little  of  her  secret.  The  desire  to  speak  of  Dick  burnt  her 
like  a  thirst,  and  the  whole  day  the  women  talked  of  love 
and  the  delights  thereof.  During  the  pauses  of  the  conver- 
sation, and  when  she  was  not  speaking,  she  communed 
greedily  with  herself.  She  was  dreamily  satisfied,  and  it 
was  not  until  Miss  Hender  left  her  to  go  to  the  theatre, 
that  is  to  say  to  go  to  Dick,  that  she  commenced  to  realize, 
in  all  its  direct  brutality,  the  fact  that  on  the  morrow  she 
would  have  to  bid  good-bye  to  her  lover.  In  the  silence  of 
the  front  kitchen   there  was  nothing  to   distract  Kate's 


A  Mummer's  Wife  147 

thoughts.  Her  husband  wheezed  on  the  sofa,  her  mother- 
in-law  read  the  Bible,  sitting  bolt  upright  in  the  armchair, 
and  the  shaded  lamp  covered  the  table  with  light.  A  rage 
that  seemed  every  moment  to  be  getting  the  upper  hand 
of  her  burnt  fiercely  within  her,  and  fearing  she  might 
be  provoked  into  shrieks  or  some  violent  manifestation  of 
temper  she  went  to  bed  as  early  as  she  could.  But  there  her 
torments  became  still  more  intolerable.  All  sorts  of  ideas 
and  hallucinations,  magnified  and  distorted,  but  rendered 
astonishingly  clear  by  the  effects  of  insomnia,  filled  her 
brain.  She  could  re-see  the  murders  she  had  read  of  in  her 
novels.  Her  imagination  supplied  details  the  author  had  not 
dreamed  of.  The  elopements,  with  all  their  paraphernalia  of 
moonlight  and  roses,  came  back  to  her  as  landscapes  do  to  a 
still  lake.  But  these  were  the  sweet  moments  of  relief ,  divine 
cessations  of  pain,  from  which  she  was  cruelly  awakened  by 
the  certitude  that  in  a  few  hours  they  would  be  separated 
forever.  An  extreme  nervousness  took  possession  of  her, 
and  she  trembled  at  her  own  thoughts.  One  imperative  and 
convincing  desire  had  swollen  her  heart  until  she  seemed  to 
herself  to  be  all  heart.  Other  joys  appeared  vain,  weak, 
and  unmeaning.  By  times,  when  she  remembered  the 
pious,  religious  life  she  had  been  brought  up  in,  she  started, 
unable  to  understand  her  present  attitude  of  mind,  and 
then  when  she  looked  into  her  own  soul  she  saw  there  a 
wicked,  violent  woman  whom  she  did  not  know,  just  as  a 
woman  before  a  glass  after  a  feverish  night  might  fail  to 
recognize  her  own  changed  face.  But  notwithstanding  this 
excitement  and  rage,  she  never  attempted  to  come  to  a  con- 
clusion— to  mark  out  for  herself  a  distinct  line  of  con- 
duct. She  merely  hopelessly  and  helplessly  abandoned 
herself  to  her  suffering,  and  often  in  positive  frenzy  she 
buried  her  head  in  the  pillows  in  the  hopes  of  shutting  out 
the  sound  of  her  husband's  snores. 

At  last  she  felt  him  moving  like  one  about  to  awake,  and 
a  moment  afterwards  heard  him  say,  "  There's  Mr.  Len- 
nox at  the  door ;  he  can't  get  in ;  he's  kicking  up  an  awful 
row.    Do  go  down  and  open  for  him." 

"  Why  don't  you  go  yourself  ?  "  she  answered,  starting 
up  into  a  sitting  position. 


148  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  How  am  I  to  go  ?  You  don't  want  nie  to  catch  my 
death  at  that  door  ?  "  Kalph  replied  angrily. 

Kate  did  not  answer,  but  quickly  tying  a  petticoat  about 
her,  and  wrapping  herself  in  her  dressing-gown,  she  went 
downstairs.  It  was  quite  dark,  and  she  had  to  feel  her  way 
along.  At  last,  however,  she  found  and  pulled  back  the 
latch,  but  when  the  white  gleam  of  moonlight  entered  she 
retreated  timidly  behind  the  door. 

"  I  am  so  sorry,"  said  Dick,  trying  to  see  who  was  the 
concealed  figure,  "  but  I  forgot  my  latchkey." 

"  It  does  not  matter,"  said  Kate. 

"  Oh,  it  is  you,  dear.  I  have  been  trying  to  get  home  all 
day  to  see  you,  but  couldn't.  Why  didn't  you  come  down 
to  the  theatre  ?  " 

"  You  know  that  I  can't  do  as  I  like." 

"  Well,  never  mind ;  don't  be  cross ;  give  me  a  kiss." 

Kate  shrunk  back,  but  Dick  took  her  in  her  arms.  "  You 
were  in  bed,  then  ?  "  he  said,  chuckling. 

"  Yes,  but  you  must  let  me  go." 

"  I  should  like  never  to  let  you  go  again." 

"  But  you  are  leaving  to-morrow." 

"  Not  unless  you  wish  me  to,  dear." 

Kate  did  not  stop  to  consider  the  impossibility  of  his 
fulfilling  his  promise,  and,  her  heart  beating,  she  went  up- 
stairs. On  the  first  landing  he  stopped  her,  and  laying  his 
hand  on  her  arm,  said,  "  And  would  you  really  be  very  glad 
if  I  were  to  stay  with  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  know  I  would,  Dick." 

They  could  not  see  each  other.  After  a  long  silence  she 
said,  "  We  must  not  stop  talking  here.  Mrs.  Ede  sleeps,  you 
know,  in  the  room  at  the  back  of  the  workroom,  and  she 
might  hear  us." 

"  Then  come  into  the  sitting-room,"  said  Dick,  taking 
her  hands  and  drawing  her  towards  him. 

"  Oh,  I  cannot." 

"  I  love  you  better  than  any  one  in  the  world." 

"  JSTo,  no ;  why  should  you  love  me  ?  " 


CHAPTEE   X 

S  this  the  stage  entrance  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am.    During  the  performance  the  real 
^     stage-door  is  used  as  a  pit  entrance,  and  we  pass 
under  the  stage." 

This  explanation  was  given  when  a  swaggering  attitude 
had  been  assumed,  and  a  knowing  wink,  the  countersign 
for  "  Now  I'm  going  to  do  something  for  your  amusement," 
had  been  bestowed  on  his  pals.  The  speaker  was  a  rough 
man  with  a  beard  and  a  fez  cap.  He  was  the  prominent 
figure  of  a  group  loitering  before  a  square  hole  with  an 
earthward  descent,  cut  in  the  wall  of  the  Hanley  theatre. 

Kate  was,  however,  too  occupied  with  her  own  thoughts 
to  notice  that  she  was  being  laughed  at,  and  she  said  in- 
stantly, "  I  want  to  see  Mr.  Lennox;  will  you  tell  him  I'm 
here  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Lennox  is  on  the  stage ;  unless  yer  on  in  the  piece 
I  don't  see  'ow  it's  to  be  done." 

At  this  rebuff  Kate  cast  a  circular  look,  full  of  embar- 
rassment, on  the  grinning  faces,  but  at  that  moment  a 
rough-looking  fellow,  of  the  same  class  as  the  speaker, 
ascended  from  the  cellar-like  opening,  and  after  nudging 
his  "  pal,"  touched  his  cap,  and  said  with  the  politeness 
of  one  who  had  been  tipped,  "  This  way,  marm.  Mr.  Len- 
nox is  on  the  stage,  but  if  you'll  wait  a  minute  I'll  tell 
'im  yer  'ere." 

At  such  evident  signs  of  managerial  patronage,  defer- 
entially the  group  made  way  for  Kate  to  pass  down  the 
rough,  boarded  way. 

"  Take  care,  marm,  or  yer'll  slip ;  very  arkerd  place  to 
get  down,  with  all  'em  baskets  in  the  way.  This  company 
do  travel  with  a  deal  of  luggage.  That's  Mr.  Lennox's,  the 
one  as  yer  'and  is  on." 

"  Oh,  indeed,"  said  Kate,  stopping  on  her  way  to  read 
Mr.  Lennox's  name  on  the  basket. 


150  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  We  piles  'em  'gainst  that  'ere  door  so  as  to  'ave  era 
'andy  for  sending  down  to  the  station  ter-morrow  morning. 
But  if  you  will  remain  here  a  moment,  marm,  I'll  run  up 
on  the  stage  and  see  if  I  can  see  'im." 

The  mention  made  by  the  scene-shifter  of  the  approach- 
ing removal  of  Dick's  basket  struck  Kate  with  a  chill  of 
despair.  She  had  scarcely  spoken  to  him  since  last  night. 
He  had  been  obliged  to  go  out  in  the  morning  before  break- 
fast ;  and  though  he  had  tried  hard  to  meet  her  during  the 
course  of  the  day,  fate  seemed  to  be  against  them.  On  one 
occasion  Mrs.  Ede  could  not  be  got  rid  of;  on  another  it 
had  so  happened  that  she  had  just  gone  round  the  corner. 
It  was  terrible,  Kate  thought,  that  such  things  should 
happen;  and  towards  evening  her  brain  took  fire,  and  she 
resolved  at  all  costs  to  see  him ;  and  without  even  troubling 
to  invent  an  excuse  to  account  for  her  absence  she  had 
rushed  off  to  the  theatre. 

Overhead  was  heard  the  multitudinous  sound  of  tramp- 
ling feet;  on  the  right  the  noise  of  fiddles  and  cornets, 
followed  by  the  high  whistling  of  a  clarionet,  pierced 
through  the  open  boarding.  She  was  in  a  large,  low-roofed 
storeroom  with  an  earthen  floor.  The  wooden  ceiling  was 
supported  by  an  endless  number  of  upright  posts,  which 
gave  the  place  the  appearance  of  a  ship.  At  the  further 
end  there  were  two  stone  staircases  leading  to  opposite  sides 
of  the  stage.  In  front  of  her  were  a  drum  and  a  barrel,  and 
the  semi-darkness  at  the  back  was  speckled  over  with  the 
sparkling  of  the  gilt  tinsel-stufi!  used  in  pantomimes;  a 
pair  of  lattice-windows,  a  bundle  of  rapiers,  a  cradle,  and  a 
breastplate,  formed  a  group  in  the  centre — a  broken  trom- 
bone lay  useless  at  her  feet.  The  soft,  flaccid  odor  of  size 
which  the  scenery  exhaled  was  suggestive  of  Ralph's  room ; 
and  spasmodically  she  considered  the  things  around  her. 
She  wondered  if  the  swords  were  real,  what  different  uses 
the  tinsel-paper  might  be  put  to,  until,  like  one  rent  by  a 
fierce  neuralgic  pain,  she  would  awake  from  her  dream, 
asking  herself  bitterly  why  he  did  not  come  down  to  see 
her.  Then,  in  the  pause  that  followed  the  question,  she  was 
startled  by  a  prolonged  shout  from  the  chorus.  The  or- 
chestra seemed  to  be  going  mad,  the  drum  was  thumped, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  151 

the  C3^mbals  were  clashed,  and  back  and  forward  rushed  the 
noisy  feet,  first  one  way,  then  the  other; — a  soprano  voice 
was  heard  for  a  moment  clear  and  distinct,  and  then  was 
drowned  immediately  after  in  a  general  scream.  What 
could  it  mean  ?  Had  the  place  taken  fire  ?  Kate  asked  her- 
self wildly. 

"  The  finale  of  the  act  'as  begun,  marm ;  Mr.  Lennox  will 
be  hoff  the  stage  directly/' 

"  Has  nothing  happened,  then  ?  is  the ?  " 

The  scene-shifter's  look  of  astonishment  showed  Kate 
that  she  was  mistaken;  and  then  Bill,  for  it  was  he,  tried 
to  make  himself  agreeable  by  speaking  of  Miss  Hender. 
But  before  they  had  time  to  exchange  many  words,  the 
trampling  and  singing  overheard  suddenly  ceased,  and  the 
muffled  sound  of  clapping  and  applause  was  heard  in  the 
distance. 

"  There's  the  act,"  said  Bill ;  "  he'll  be  down  now  im- 
mediately; he'll  take  no  call  for  the  perliceman." 

It  seemed  to  Kate  that  the  mention  of  the  policeman  must 
have  been  meant  as  a  sneer,  but  intimidated  by  the  mystery 
of  the  language  in  which  it  was  couched  she  said  nothing. 
A  moment  after,  a  man  attired  in  knee-breeches,  with  a 
huge  cravat  wound  several  times  round  his  throat,  came 
running  down  the  stone  staircase." 

"  Oh,  'ere  he  is,"  said  Bill.    "  I'll  leave  ycr  now,  marm." 

"  And  so  you  found  your  way,  dear  ?  "  said  Dick,  putting 
out  his  arm  to  draw  Kate  towards  him. 

But  he  looked  so  very  strange  with  the  great  patches  of 
coarse  red  on  his  cheeks,  and  the  deep  black  lines  drawn 
about  his  eyes,  that  she  could  not  conceal  her  repulsion. 
Guessing  the  cause  of  her  embarrassment,  he  said  laugh- 
ing: 

"  Ah,  I  see  you  don't  know  me !  'Tis  a  good  make-up, 
isn't  it  ?    I  took  a  good  deal  of  trouble  with  it." 

Kate  made  no  answer ;  but  the  sound  of  his  voice  soothed 
her,  and  she  leaned  upon  his  arm. 

"  Give  me  a  kiss,  dear,  before  we  go  up,"  he  said  coax- 

Kate  looked  at  him  curiously,  and  then,  laughing  at  her 


152  A  Mummer's  Wife 

own  f oolislineps,  said^  "  Wait  until  you  have  the  soldier's 
dress  on." 

At  the  top  of  the  staircase  the  piled-np  side-scenes  made 
so  many  ways  and  angles  that  Kate  had  to  keep  close  to 
Dick  for  fear  of  getting  lost.  However  at  last  they  ar- 
rived in  the  wings,  where  gaslights  were  burning  blankly 
on  the  white-washed  walls.  A  crowd  of  loud-voiced,  per- 
spiring girls^  in  short  fancy  petticoats  and  bare  necks  and 
arms,  pushed  their  way  towards,  and  scrambled  up,  mys- 
terious and  ladder-like  staircases.  Ange  Pitou  had  taken 
off  his  cocked-hat  and  was  sharing  a  pint  of  beer  with 
Clairette.    It  being  her  turn  to  drink,  she  said : 

"  Now  hold  my  skirts  in,  there's  a  dear ;  this  beer  plays 
the  devil  with  white  satin." 

"  What  nonsense  !  "  replied  Ange.  "  It  isn't  on  to  your 
skirts  it  will  go  if  you  spill  it,  but  into  your  bosom.  Stop 
a  second,  and  I'll  give  the  bottom  of  the  pot  a  wipe,  then 
you'll  bo  all  right." 

In  the  meanwhile  Pomponet  and  La  Eivodiere  were  en- 
gaged in  a  violent  quarrel. 

"  Just  you  understand,"  shouted  Mortimer,  "  if  you  want 
to  do  any  clowning  you  had  better  fill  3^our  wig  with  saw- 
dust.    It  had  better  be  stuffed  with  something." 

This  sally  was  received  with  looks  of  approbation  from  a 
circle  of  supers,  who  were  waiting  in  the  hopes  of  hearing 
some  spirited  dialogue. 

"  CloAvning !  And  what  can  you  do  ?  I  suppose  your 
line  is  the  legitimate.  Go  and  play  Don  John  again,  and 
you'll  read  us  tlie  notices  in  the  morning." 

"  Notices !  What's  the  use  of  your  talking  of  notices ! 
You  never  had  one,  except  one  to  quit  from  your  landlady, 
poor  woman !  "  replied  Mortimer  in  his  most  nasal  intona- 
tion of  voice. 

Enchanted  at  this  witticism,  the  supers  laughed,  and 
poor  Dubois  would  have  been  utterly  done  for  if  Dick  had 
not  at  that  moment  interposed. 

Then  the  scene  became  more  than  ever  fantastic.  Dick, 
in  the  costume  of  a  policeman  of  a  bygone  age,  keeping  the 
peace  between  a  hideous  bridegroom  in  white,  with  long 
ringlets  over  his  neck,  and  a  little  man  wearing  a  card-. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  153 

board  skull.  What  did  it  mean?  A  pained  sense  of  be- 
wilderment, but  one  so  clear  and  acute  that  it  could  not  be 
taken  for  a  dream,  was  Kate's  first  feeling.  The  sweet 
indolence,  the  vague  mystery  she  had  experienced,  when 
she  was  in  the  theatre  on  Thursday  night,  were  replaced 
by  a  glittering  nearness  of  vision  that  was  at  once  frag- 
mentary and  irritating;  and,  longing  to  shade  her  dazzled 
e,yes  and  stay  her  stunned  ears,  she  withdrew  into  a  corner. 
The  crowding  chorus  stared  at  her,  and  the  principals,  who 
loitered  in  the  wings,  leered  and  whispered.  Kate  could 
see  that  she  was  attracting  attention,  and  passionately  she 
wished  that  the  bridegroom  and  the  baldheaded  man  would 
leave  off  disputing,  and  allow  Dick  to  come  back  to  her. 
But  they  seemed  as  if  they  would  never  cease  talking. 
After  abusing  each  other  in  as  close  proximity  as  Dick 
would  allow  them  to  get,  they  generally  walked  awa}'',  as 
turkey-cocks  will,  but,  just  as  a  hope  began  to  dawn  that  it 
was  all  over,  one  would  suddenly  return  and  open  the  whole 
argument  up  afresli.  It  was  impossible  to  say  which  was 
the  worse;  the  bridegroom  was  the  most  offensive,  but 
Pomponet  strutted  and  shook  his  bald  head  very  aggres- 
sively. Kate  often  feared  that  they  were  going  to  kill  each 
other ;  but  nothing  of  the  kind  happened,  and  after  a  deal 
of  cajolery  Dick  got  them  into  their  dressing-room. 

"  What  do  you  think,  dear,"  he  said,  drawing  her  aside, 
"  if  I  go  and  make  my  change  now  ?  I  don't  come  on  till 
the  end  of  the  act,  and  we'll  be  able  to  talk  without  inter- 
ruption till  then.  Besides,  you  say  you  like  me  better  as 
the  captain  of  the  guard." 

Kate  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  She  had  expected 
him  to  explain  the  rights  and  wrongs  of  that  terrible 
quarrel,  which  so  providentially  had  passed  off  without 
bloodshed,  and  he  seemed  to  have  forgotten  all  about  it. 

"  But  those  two  gentlemen — the  actors — what  will  hap- 
pen ?    Are  they  going  to  go  away  ?  " 

"  Go  away  ?  Oh  Lord,  no  !  They  are  both  right  and  both 
wrong.  Of  course  it  is  riling  to  have  a  fellow  mugging 
behind  you  with  his  wig  when  you  are  speaking,  but  one 
must  go  in  for  a  bit  of  extra  clowning  on  a  Saturday  night.'^ 

Kate  knew  not  what  to  answer,  and,  without  waiting  to 


154  A   Mummer's  Wife 

consider  the  matter  further,  Dick  darted  down  a  passage. 
When  he  was  with  her  it  was  well  enough,  but  the  moment 
his  protection  was  withdrawn  all  her  old  fears  returned  to 
her.  She  did  not  know  where  to  stand.  The  scene-shifters 
had  come  to  carry  away  the  scenes  that  were  piled  up  in 
her  corner,  and  one  of  the  huge  slips  had  nearly  fallen 
on  her.  A  troop  of  girls  in  single  colored  gowns  and  poke 
bonnets  had  stopped  to  stare  at  her.  She  remembered  their 
appearance  from  Thursday,  but  she  had  not  seen  then  their 
vulgar,  everyday  eyes,  nor  heard  until  now  their  coarse, 
everyday  laughs  and  jokes.  Amid  this  group  Lange,  fat 
and  lumpy,  perorated.     She  was  abusing  Hanley. 

"  The  most  beastly  place  I  ever  was  in,  my  dear.  I  al- 
ways dread  the  week  here.  Just  look  round  the  house.  I 
don't  believe  there's  a  man  in  front  who  has  a  quid  in  his 
pocket.  Now  at  Liverpool  there  are  lots  of  nice  men.  You 
should  have  seen  the  things  I  had  sent  me  when  I  was  there 
with  Harrington's  company;  and  the  bouquets.  There 
were  flowers  left  for  me  every  day." 

What  ail  this  meant  Kate  did  not  know,  and  she  did  not 
care  to  guess.  For  a  moment  the  strange  world  she  found 
herself  in  had  distracted  her  thoughts,  but  it  could  do  so 
no  longer;  no,  not  if  it  were  ten  times  as  strange.  What 
did  slie  care  for  these  actresses  ?  What  was  it  to  her  what 
they  said  or  what  they  thought  of  her?  She  had  come  to 
look  after  her  lover;  that  was  her  business,  and  that  only. 
He  was  going  away  to-morrow,  and  they  had  arranged  noth- 
ing! It  was  that  that  was  terrible.  She  did  not  know 
whether  he  was  going  to  remain,  or  if  he  expected  her  to 
follow  with  him,  and  the  uncertainty,  the  delay,  irritated 
and  maddened  her.  She  hated  the  people  around  her;  she 
hated  them  for  their  laughter,  for  their  fine  clothes;  she 
hated  them  aliove  all.  because  they  were  all  calling  for  him. 
It  was  ]\Tr.  Lennox  here  and  Dick  there.  What  did  they 
want  with  him  ?  Could  they  do  nothing  without  him  ?  It 
seemed  to  her  that  they  were  all  mocking  her,  and  she 
hated  them  for  it. 

The  stage  was  now  full  of  women.  The  men  stood  in  the 
wings  or  ran  to  the  ends  of  distant  passages  and  called 
"  Dick,  Dick,  Dick." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  155 

The  orchestra  had  ceased  playing,  and  the  noise  in  front 
of  the  curtain  was  growing  every  moment  angrier  and 
louder. 

At  last  Dick  appeared,  looking  splendid  in  red  tights 
and  Hessian  boots.  Eushing  on  the  stage  he  caught  hold 
of  two  or  three  girls,  changed  their  places,  peeped  to  see 
if  Montgomery  was  all  right,  and  then  gave  the  signal  to 
ring  up. 

But  once  the  curtain  was  raised,  he  was  surrounded  by 
half-a-dozen  persons,  who  all  wanted  to  speak  to  him.  Bid- 
ding himself  of  them,  he  contrived  to  get  to  Kate's  side,  but 
they  had  not  exchanged  half-a-dozen  words  before  the  pro- 
prietor asked  if  he  could  "  have  a  moment."  Then  Miss 
Hender  turned  up,  and  begged  of  Kate  to  come  and  see  the 
dressing-rooms,  but  fearing  to  miss  him  she  declared  she 
preferred  to  stay  where  she  was.  Nevertheless  it  was  diffi- 
cult not  to  listen  to  her  friend's  explanations  as  to  what 
was  passing  on  the  stage,  and  in  one  of  these  unguarded 
moments  Dick  disappeared.  It  was  heartbreaking,  but  she 
could  do  nothing  but  wait  until  he  came  back.  This  was 
not  for  at  least  ten  minutes,  and  Kate  had  a  terrible  time 
of  it.  Like  an  iron,  the  idea  that  she  was  about  to  lose  her 
lover  forced  itself  deeper  into  her  heart.  The  fate  of  her 
life  was  hanging  in  the  balance,  and  the  few  words  that 
were  to  decide  it  were,  time  after  time,  by  things  of  no 
importance,  being  delayed.  Dick,  who  had  now  returned, 
was  talking  with  the  gasmen,  who  wanted  to  know  if  the 
extra  "  hand  "  he  had  engaged  was  to  be  paid  by  the  com- 
pany or  the  management.  It  was  maddening.  Never  in 
her  life  had  she  felt  so  miserable.  Every  now  and  again 
an  actress  or  an  actor  would  rush  through  the  wings  and 
stare  at  her;  sometimes  it  was  the  whole  chorus,  headed  by 
Miss  Beaumont,  whose  rude  remarks  frequently  reached 
her  ears. 

She  tried  to  retreat,  but  the  rude  eyes  and  words  fol- 
lowed her.  Occasionally  the  voice  of  the  prompter  was 
heard,  "  Now  then,  ladies,  silence  if  you  please;  I  can't 
hear  what's  being  said  on  the  stage."  But  no  one  listened 
to  him.  Like  animals  in  a  fair,  they  continued  to  crush 
and  to  crowd  in  the  passage,  between  the  wings  and  the 


156  '^A  Mummer's  Wife 

whitewashed  wall.  A  tall,  fat  girl  stood  close  by;  her 
hand  was  on  her  sword,  which  she  slapped  slowly  against 
her  thighs.  Kate  quailed  l)eneath  her  glance,  and  shrank 
back  disgusted.  The  odor  of  hair,  cheap  scent,  necks,  bosoms, 
and  arms,  was  overpowering,  and  to  Kate's  sense  of  modesty 
there  was  something  revolting  in  this  loud  display  of  body. 
But  a  bugle  call  was  soon  sounded  in  the  orchestra,  and 
this  was  the  signal  for  much  noise  and  bustle.  The  con- 
spirators rushed  off  the  stage,  threw  aside  their  cloaks 
and  immediately  after  the  soft  curling  strains  of  the  waltz 
were  heard;  then  the  bugle  was  sounded  again,  and  the 
girls  began  to  tramp. 

"  Cue  for  soldiers'  entrance,"  shouted  the  prompter. 
.     "  Now  tlien,  ladies,  are  you  ready  ?  "  cried  Dick,  as  he 
put  himself  at  the  head  of  the  army. 

"  Yes,"  was  murmured  along  the  line,  and  Kate  watched 
the  burly  shoulders  of  her  hero  marching  away  at  the 
head  of  the  red  legs. 

Tears  mounted  to  her  eyes;  suddenly  her  grief  became 
too  great  for  her  to  bear,  and  she  burst  into  an  uncon- 
trollable fit  of  sobbing.  What  was  she  to  do  ?  she  asked  her- 
self. She  had  been  deserted.  How  foolishly,  how  wickedly 
she  had  acted!  But  in  reality  her  emotion  was  more  phys- 
ical than  anything  else — a  passionate  outburst  of  harassed 
and  exhausted  sensibilities.  At  the  bottom  of  her  heart 
she  did  not  fear  desertion  so  much  as  she  would  pretend  to 
herself.  A  woman's  instinct  tells  her  when  the  real  wolf 
is  nigh,  and  listening  to  the  melodious  song  of  the  waltz, 
she  examined  her  grief  somewhat  as  she  might  a  plaything. 
With  tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks  she  sang  the  tune 
sadly  in  an  undertone,  and  it  consoled  her  as  a  cradle-song 
might  a  child.  It  consisted  of  one  melodious  phrase,  a 
long  sigh  of  conscious  sensuality,  backed  up  by  short,  crisp 
variations  that  sounded  like  a  series  of  little  cynical  laughs. 

She  was  now  left  alone.  Everyone  was  on  the  stage, 
the  wings  were  deserted ;  only  the  gasman  stood  at  his  taps, 
and  his  back  was  turned  to  her,  and  under  the  influence  of 
the  music  gradually  the  dreams  of  the  other  night  began  to 
float  like  rosy  mists  through  the  halo  of  her  sorrow.  But 
this  was  for  a  moment  only.     The  gasman  suddenly  un- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  157 

wound  a  rope,  down  came  the  curtain,  and  Kate  was  again 
surrounded  by  a  herd  of  females.  The  strangeness  of  the 
costume  lent  them  a  coarseness  more  than  their  own.  It 
was  horrifying  to  see  Beaumont  holding  her  dress  above  her 
calves.  The  conspirators  had  pulled  off  their  wigs,  and 
there  was  something  indescribably  painful  in  the  contrast 
their  close-cut  pates  made  with  their  knee-breeches,  and 
long  coats  of  old  time.  Familiarity  hides  many  of  the 
abominations  of  our  lives  from  us,  and  we  have  no  suspicion 
of  the  truth  until  we  change  the  form.  The  bitterness 
or  sweetness  of  a  well-worn  adage  appeals  to  us  when  it  is 
clothed  in  new  language;  in  the  old  words,  its  philosophy 
would  have  passed  unperceived.  And  thus  it  was  with 
these  supers  and  chorus-girls.  In  pea-jackets  and  print 
dresses  their  coarseness  would  have  attracted  no  attention ; 
to  see  and  judge  of  their  animalism  it  was  necessary  to 
disguise  them  in  the  costumes  of  the  Directoire. 

Kate  shrank  back  mortified  and  enraged  that  this  crowd 
should  be  witness  to  her  tears. 

"  What's  she  crying  for  ?    Who  is  she  ?  " 

"■  A  spoon  of  Dick's,"  someone  whispered,  and  the  lot 
chuckled  and  laughed.  At  last,  unable  to  endure  it  any 
longer,  Kate  profited  by  a  break  in  the  ranks  to  step  aside, 
and  she  ran  through  the  wings  towards  the  back  of  the 
stage.     There  she  met  Dick. 

"  And  what  is  the  matter,  dear  ?  "  he  said,  drawing  her 
to  him.    "  What  is  all  this  crying  about?  " 

"  Oh,  Dick !  you  shouldn't  neglect  me  as  you  do.  I  have 
been  waiting  here,  amid  those  horrid  girls,  nigh  an  hour 
for  you,  and  you  are  talking  to  everybody  but  me." 

"It  wasn't  my  fault,  dear ;  I  was  on  in  the  last  act.  They 
couldn't  have  finished  it  without  me." 

"  I  don't  know,  I  don't  know ;  but  you  are  going  away  to- 
morrow, and  I  shall  never  see  you  again.  It  is  very  hard 
on  me  that  this  last  night — night — that " 

"  Now,  don't  cry  like  that,  dear.  I  tell  you  what.  It 
is  impossible  to  talk  here;  everybody's  after  me.  I'll  take 
off  these  things,  and  we'll  go  for  a  walk  through  the  town — 
will  that  do  ?    I  know  we've  a  lot  of  things  to  speak  about." 

The  serious  way  in  which  he  spoke  this  last  phrase 


168  'A  Mummer's  Wife 

brought  courage  to  Kate,  and  she  strove  to  cahn  herself, 
but  she  was  sobbing  so  heavily  that  she  could  not  answer. 

"  Well,  you  wait  here,  dear ;  no  one  will  disturb  you, 
and  I  sha'n't  be  above  two  minutes." 

Kate  nodded  her  head  in  reply,  and,  smiling  through  her 
tears,  raised  her  face  for  a  kiss. 

Five  minutes  after  they  were  walking  up  the  street  to- 
gether. 

"  And  how  did  you  get  out,  dear  ?    Did  they  see  you  ?  " 

"  No ;  Ealph  is  l)ad  with  his  asthma,  and  mother  is  sit- 
ting upstairs  with  him.    I  said  I  had  some  sewing  to  do." 

"  You  must  find  it  dreadful  dull ;  five  minutes'  talk  with 
the  old  woman  gives  me  the  blues  for  a  week." 

"  It  seems  very  stupid  to  me,  too — at  least,  since  I  have 
known  you.  Oh,  Dick,  Dick !  I  can't  bear  to  think  you  are 
going.    I  shall  never  see  you  again." 

"  Yes  you  will,  dear ;  we'll  try  to  manage  something. 
You  know  you  have  a  nice  little  voice ;  I  could  get  you  some- 
thing to  do.  I  wonder  if  your  husband  would  consent  to 
5^our  going  on  the  stage  ?  " 

"  That's  impossible ;  who  would  do  the  dressmaking  for 
him  ?  He  talks  of  the  business,  but  if  we  were  relying  on 
what  we  sell,  we'd  be  starving  to-morrow." 

To  this  Dick  made  no  answer.  Now,  wrapped  in  thought, 
he  walked  with  Kate  hanging  on  his  right  arm,  his  left  he 
carried  across  his  chest  so  that  he  might  hold  her  hand  in 
his.  She  told  him  in  brief  and  passionate  phases  how  im- 
possible it  would  be  for  her  to  endure  her  life  when  he  went 
away.  She  begged  of  him  not  to  desert  her ;  she  besought 
of  him  to  prolong  his  stay  at  least  another  week,  and  re- 
fused to  understand  that  this  was  utterly  impossible,  that 
another  company  would  be  in  Hanley  on  Monday  morn- 
ing. 

Slowly  they  passed  on;  stopping  when  their  talk  grew 
more  than  ever  earnest,  and  facing  each  other  they  held 
each  other's  hands,  regardless  of  the  jeers  of  the  laughing 
factory  girls. 

"  I  wouldn't  kiss  her  to-night  if  I  were  you,"  said  the 
most  impudent. 

"  Wouldn't  you,  indeed  ?  "  cried  two  youths,  who,  steal- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  159 

ing  up  from  behind,  seized  two  of  the  girls  by  the  waists, 
and  at  once  administered  a  series  of  vigorous  Icisses.  In 
the  struggle  and  jolting  with  which  these  embraces  were 
received  Dick  and  Kate  got  pushed  into  the  street,  and  this 
kind  of  incident  was  repeated  constantly.  Like  rabbits 
come  out  to  disport  in  the  evening,  the  inhabitants  of  Han- 
ley  had  come  out  of  their  brick  burrows  and  were  enjoy- 
ing themselves  in  the  market-place.  The  old  men  talked 
in  groups  and  loitered  in  the  roadway,  the  young  men, 
amorously  inclined,  larked  along  the  pavement. 

"  Let's  get  out  of  this  row,"  said  Dick.  "  Is  there  no 
quiet  street  where  we  could  talk  in  peace." 

"  There's  Market  Street  up  there.  You  remember,  Dick 
— where  you  met  me,  the  day  you  took  me  to  the  potteries." 

"  Let's  walk  up  there  then,  dear ;  it  will  be  nice  to  see 
the  place  again.  I  didn't  know  I  loved  you  till  that  morn- 
ing." 

These  reminiscences  were  very  bitter  to  talk  of,  now  that 
only  a  few  hours  of  love  remained  to  them,  but  for  the 
moment  she  said  nothing.  They  passed  the  dusty  square 
of  ground  where,  in  the  daytime,  the  children  pulled  at  the 
swings  and  the  broken  merry-go-rounds.  Dark  shadows 
now  filled  the  spaces,  and  only  a  few  figures  could  be  seen 
strolling  under  the  high  walls  at  the  back.  Dick  tried 
to  remember  in  which  of  the  pillbox-looking  houses  he  had 
been  recommended  to  seek  for  lodgings.  It  seemed  to  him 
very  singular  that  if  he  hadn't  missed  a  turning  he  wouldn't 
be  now  thinking  of  running  away  with  a  married  woman. 

Kate  thought  of  how  she  had  come  out  that  eventful 
morning  with  Mrs.  Barnes's  dress,  and  how  she  had  stopped 
to  look  at  the  hills,  and  was  thinking  of  the  world  far  be- 
yond them,  when  he  came  up  and  spoke  to  her.  And  filled 
with  these  half  sad,  half  sweet  recollections,  they  walked 
towards  the  square  of  sky  enframed  in  the  end  of  the  street. 
At  last,  as  they  were  approaching  the  summit,  Dick  said: 

"  I  hope  they  won't  miss  you  at  home.  What  excuse 
would  you  give  for  being  out  so  late  ?  " 

"  You  mean  to  say  you  want  to  get  rid  of  me !  Oh,  Dick, 
Dick !  how  can  you  be  so  cruel ! " 

"  My  dear,  I  swear  to  you  I  never  thought  of  such  a 


160  A  Mummer's  Wife 

thing.  Now  don't  begin  to  cry;  I  assure  you  I  was  only 
tliinking  of  that  confounded  old  woman.  What,  after  all, 
is  it  to  you  what  she  says  ?  " 

"  Yes,  what  is  it  to  me  ?  Why  should  I  care  ?  They  only 
make  me  miserable,  you  make  me  happy ;  at  least  I  should 
be  happy  if  I  did  not  think  I  was  going  to  lose  you.  Oh, 
Dick !  you  won't  leave  me ;  tell  me,  tell  me,  that  you  won't 
leave  me  ?  " 

They  had  now  reached  the  exact  spot  where  they  had 
met  on  that  memorable  day  that  had  decided  the  fate  at 
least  of  her  life.  Full  of  sad  languor,  Kate  clung  to  Dick's 
arm,  and  they  walked  back  and  forwards  about  the  grass- 
grown  mounds  of  cinders. 

Below  them  lay  the  immense  black  valley,  growing  dim- 
mer in  the  vague  and  melancholy  mists  of  evening.  From 
the  dream-filled  opening  on  the  left,  where  in  the  clear  sun- 
light the  outlines  of  the  Wevcr  Hills  are  seen,  the  vapors 
now,  like  a  gray  army  of  ghosts  bearing  with  them  winding- 
sheets  and  cere-cloths  of  soft  shadow,  stole  slowly  forward. 
In  the  vast  calm  a  warm  air  was  exhaled  from  this  bowel 
of  the  earth;  already  the  brutal  abruptness  of  the  brick- 
work of  the  distant  factories  was  a  little  blended,  just  as 
too  hard  a  drawing  is  modulated  by  the  passing  of  a  neutral 
tint  over  it;  and  the  deep  harmonic  measures  of  mono- 
chrome were  l)roken  nowhere,  except  by  the  black  spire  of 
Northwood  church,  which  pierced  the  one  band  of  purple 
that  yet  remained.  Below  it  the  crescent-shaped  suburb 
slept  like  a  scaly  reptile  just  crawled  from-  out  of  its  bed 
of  slime.  Not  a  light  was  yet  visible  in  its  innumerable 
windows,  and  as  the  night  advanced  the  white  gables  of 
Bagnall  Eectory  disappeared  in  the  middle  gloom  of  a 
milk-colored  fog.  Up  above,  however,  there  was  more  light, 
and  the  dark  stems  and  lowering  smoke  of  the  chimneys 
still  contrasted  with  the  dim  background  of  the  hills.  But 
this  distinction  was  rapidly  disappearing.  A  scattered  veil 
seemed  to  fall  from  the  gray  heights  of  the  sky  and  to  be 
dragged  in  fragments  along  the  valley,  between  the  specta- 
tors and  the  wide  green  masses  of  the  hills.  Woods  and 
fields  were  now  blurred  and  confused,  all  distinctness,  all 
detail  was  lost,  and  the  huge  rolling  sides  seemed  more  than 


A  Mummer's  Wife  3L31 

ever  like  the  swell  of  some  gigantic  tide-wave  pausing 
before  it  should  engulf  on  its  onward  way  the  sand- 
mound  constructed  b}^  some  intrepid  child.  As  Kate 
wdtclied  the  hills  disappearing  from  her  sight,  she  thought 
of  the  inlluence  they  had  exercised  upon  her,  and  she  re- 
called the  imagination  they  had  fed,  the  dreams  they  had 
given  her.  But  this  time  of  tenderness  did  not  last  long; 
the  bitterness  that  had  been  for  weeks  past  surging  within 
her  against  the  imprisoning  walls  of  the  town  rose  from  her 
heart  to  her  head,  and  in  a  gross  moment  of  exultation  she 
remembered  that  never  before  had  she  looked  out  to  the 
horizon  without  seeing  these  huge  mountain-sides  barring 
her  view.  JvTow  they  were  passing  away,  and  heedless  of 
Dick's  questions  she  watched  the  outlines  disappearing. 
She  almost  trembled  in  fear  that  some  miracle  might  stay 
the  increasing  darkness,  and  she  could  not  avoid  thinking 
of  Joshua  and  the  sun  standing  still. 

At  last,  awakening  up  from  her  reveries,  she  said  pas- 
sionately, throwing  her  arms  on  his  shoulder — 

"  But  you  won't  desert  me  ?  Tell  me  that  you  will  take 
me  away  from  this  horrible  place.  I  could  not  bear  it  when 
you  were  gone — I  would  sooner  die." 

This  was  the  first  time  that  a  direct  mention  of  an  elope- 
ment had  been  made.  They  had  both  been  unconsciously 
considering  the  agreeabilities  of  such  an  act  for  some  time 
past,  but  the  consequences  thereof  had  not  occurred  to 
either  party  until  the  proposition  had  been  put  forward 
in  so  many  words. 

"  Of  course  I'll  take  you  away,  my  dear,"  said  Dick  with 
a  distinct  vision  of  the  Divorce  Court  in  his  mind,  "  but 
you  know  that  will  mean  giving  up  everything  and  travel- 
ling a1)0ut  the  country  with  us,  and  I  don't  know  that  vou 
will  like  it." 

"  You  mean  that  you  don't  love  me  enough  to  take  me 
away,"  cried  Kate  frantically.  "  Oh,  I  did  not  think  you 
were  so  cruel !     I  thought  you  loved  me  better." 

Passion  and  jealousy  were  now  dominant  in  Kate,  and 
the  suspicion  of  fear  that  she  had  at  first  felt  at  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  her  home  vanished  in  the  rage  that  her 
11 


162  A  Mummer's  Wife 

lover's  fancied  hesitation  had  caused  her.  Clinging  aliout 
him,  she  waited  for  his  answer. 

"  I'll  take  you  away,  dear,  if  you'll  come.  I  never  liked 
a  woman  as  I  do  you.  The  train-call  is  for  ten  o'clock.  We 
must  contrive  something.  How  are  you  to  meet  me  at  the 
station  ?  " 

It  was  Kate's  turn  then  to  hesitate.  The  knowledge  of 
the  power  of  bearing  children  forces  every  woman  to  look 
to  her  home  as  a  bird  to  its  nest.  In  the  highest  and  lowest 
ranks  this  natural  instinct  is  counteracted  by  circum- 
stances, but  the  whole  life  of  the  middle-class  woman  tends 
to  confirm  it.  She  is  rich  enough  to  possess  a  home,  but  too 
poor  to  leave  it,  except  on  the  rarest  occasions.  Her  power 
begins  and  ends  there ;  she  is  unknown  beyond  it.  She  may 
be  vile  or  virtuous,  but  in  either  case  her  good  or  bad  quali- 
ties flourish  within  the  threshold  of  her  own  door. 

And  with  Kate  the  ties  of  home,  or  rather  those  of  local- 
ity were,  of  course,  doubly  strong.  She  had  never  been  out 
of  the  Potteries  in  her  life;  born,  reared,  and  married  she 
had  been  here.  Beyond  the  awful  circle  of  the  hills  all  was 
as  vague  to  her  as  beyond  the  sea-banks  is  to  the  oyster. 
And  not  only  was  she  going  away  into  this  unknown  region, 
without  hope  of  ever  being  able  to  return  again,  but  she  was 
going  there  to  roam  she  did  not  know  v.'hither — adrift,  and 
as  helpless  as  a  tame  bird  freed  and  delivered  to  the  enmi- 
ties of  an  unknown  land.  Half  the  truth  dawned  upon  her 
in  that  moment,  and  lifting  her  eyes,  she  said — 

"  Oh,  Dick !  you  are  asking  a  great  deal  of  me.  What 
shall  I  do  ?    Never,  never,  never  to  see  Hanley  again !  " 

"  I  didn't  know  that  you  cared  so  much  about  Hanley, 
And  you  accused  me  just  now  of  not  loving  you  enough  to 
take  you  away.    I  think  it  is  you  who  don't  love  me." 

"  Oh,  Dick !  you  know  that  I  love  you  better  than  any- 
thing in  the  world !  But  to  give  up  everything,  never  to 
see  what  you  have  seen  all  your  life." 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  regret  it,  dear ;  we'll  be  very 
happy.  We  are  going  from  this  to  Derby,  and  from  that  to 
Blackpool,  a  very  jolly  place  by  the  sea.  We'll  go  out  boat- 
ing and  picnicing." 

Actors  who  are  not  gypsies  by  nature  invariably  marry 


A  Mummer's  Wife  163 

after  a  few  years  of  travelling.  The  monotony  of  constant 
change,  the  incessant  veneering  of  the  mind  with  new  im- 
pressions, no  sooner  produced  than  wiped  out,  the  certain 
breaking  up  of  all  ties  that  their  mechanical  hurry  from 
town  to  town  entails,  forces  the  most  fickle  to  long  to  be, 
if  no  more,  constant  to  their  heart's  desire,  and  instinctively 
leads  the  most  volatile  to  dream  of  something  stable  and 
tangible.  For  the  travelling  actor  there  is  no  society.  He 
arrives  in  a  strange  town :  the  discomfort  of  living  in  a 
whirl  of  new  lodging-houses  he  has  probably  grown  accus- 
tomed to,  but  the  dreadful  hours  of  inoccupation  passed 
amid  fresh  scenes  and  unfamiliar  faces  remain  as  burden- 
some as  ever.  Many  of  his  "  pals  "  are  married ;  he  cannot 
intrude  upon  them,  and  therefore  his  only  amusement  or 
distraction  is  a  chance  of  conversation  in  a  public-house. 
These  influences  had  been  at  work  upon  Dick  for  a  long 
time  past.  Before  being  placed  at  the  head  of  the  present 
tour  he  had  been  playing  heavy  leads  in  Shakespearean  re- 
vivals. There  everybody  was  married,  and  Dick  had  a  tire- 
some time  of  it.  His  recent  liaison  with  Miss  Leslie,  and 
several  still  more  ephemeral  loves  with  the  ladies  of  the 
chorus,  had  interested  him  for  the  time  being;  but  neverthe- 
less, the  recollections  of  the  family  comforts  he  had  been 
recently  witness  to  remained  in  his  mind,  and  now  that 
the  chance  of  realizing  a  nice  settled  life  presented  itself 
he  found  himself  unable  to  resist  availing  himself  of  the 
occasion.  He  was  sick  of  being  alone.  Kate  was  a  very 
pretty  woman,  had  a  nice  little  soprano  voice,  and  he  was 
sure  he'd  be  able  to  get  her  something  to  do  by-and-by. 
Besides,  he  was  very  fond  of  her,  and  he  was  quite  sure 
they'd  get  on  famously  together. 

This  was  the  substance  of  his  thoughts  concerning  Kate, 
and  he  knew  no  more  about  the  matter  than  that  he  loved 
her  far  better  than  he  had  any  one  since  his  affair  with  the 
countess,  who  had  come  thirty  times  to  see  him  play  the 
part  of  the  Indian  in  the  Octoroon.  Indolent  as  this  man 
was  by  nature,  he  could  when  the  occasion  required  wake 
up  to  fits  of  the  most  surprising  energy.  He  had,  there 
being  no  need  for  his  interference,  accepted  Kate's  affection 
lazily;  but  now,  the  moment  there  was  danger  of  losing 


164  A  Mummer's  Wife 

her,  he  began  to  bestir  himself.  Putting  his  arms  quite 
around  her,  with  a  movement  that  could  not  fail  to  delight 
a  woman,  so  full  was  it  of  softness  and  protective  strength, 
he  said — 

"  You  must  not  think  about  it  any  more,  dear.  I  can- 
not, I  could  not,  leave  this  place  without  you.  What  is 
your  husband  to  you  when  you  love  me  ?  We  shall  be  hap- 
pier than  you  ever  dreamed  of  being.    Kiss  me,  darling." 

Kate  raised  her  face  to  his,  feeling  then  that  nothing 
but  this  man  concerned  her  in  the  world. 

Behind  them  were  the  back-yards  of  a  row  of  small 
houses.  Two  or  three  girls  stood  on  the  doorsteps  talking 
to  their  admirers,  and  the  print  dresses  made  pale  stains 
in  the  gloom.  Overhead  the  sky  was  murky  and  cold ;  a  few 
stars  shimmered,  and  a  vapid  moon  struggled  through 
heavy  masses  of  travelling  clouds;  below  an  immense  sea 
of  purply  vapor  had  filled  full  the  valley.  The  tide  of  mist 
had  flowed  from  the  lowest  deeps  to  the  highest  ridges,  and 
as  these  were  barely  defined  against  the  wide  gray  sky,  an 
exact  image  of  the  ocean  was  produced.  But  the  imitation 
exceeded  the  reality  in  grandeur,  for  the  horizon's  line 
being  placed  high  above  the  eye,  the  illusion  of  unbounded 
space  was  perfectly  realized.  Otherwise  the  likeness  was 
complete,  and  so  striking  was  it  that  even  Dick  did  not 
fail  to  perceive  it.  After  a  moment's  contemplation  he 
said — 

"  You  told  me,  dear,  that  you  had  never  the  sea ;  well 
the  view  before  you  is  more  like  it  than  anything  I  ever  saw 
in  my  life ;  that  is  to  say,  as  it  looks  at  night." 

Kate  did  not  answer  at  once,  but  at  the  end  of  a  long 
silence  she  said,  "  You  mustn't  laugh  at  me,  dear  Dick,  but 
I  can't  tell  you  how  frightened  I  am  at  not  being  able  to  see 
those  hills.  I  have  been  watching  them  all  my  life,  and 
never  lost  sight  of  them  till  now." 

For  answer  Dick  kissed  her,  and  again  they  relapsed  into 
contemplation. 

Momentarily  the  spectacle  grew  more  striking  and  mag- 
nificent. Furnace-fires  flashed  everywhere  through  the 
wide  shadow-sea.  For  miles,  on  the  right,  on  the  left,  they 
sprang  into  existence,  and  then  remained  fixed  like  stars  in 


A  Mummer's  Wife  165 

the  purple  concave  of  night.  In  the  foreground — that  is 
to  say,  iu  the  heart  of  the  valley — they  were  most  numerous. 
There  were  there  separate  lights,  groups,  and  constellations, 
and  in  lines  they  Avandered  over  miles  of  country,  becoming 
scarcer  as  they  ascended  the  hidden  slopes  of  the  hills. 
Along  the  ridges  they  appeared  like  vessels  passing  about 
the  horizon  of  a  vast  sea.  On  the  left  Northwood's  sharp 
back  was  seen  like  the  rough  line  of  a  rocky  coast ;  on  the 
right  the  lights  of  Southwark  might  have  been  mistaken 
for  a  fleet  of  fishing-boats  riding  at  anchor  in  a  dead  calm. 
The  tall  stems  of  the  factory  chimneys,  the  bottle-shaped 
pottery-ovens,  the  intricate  shafts  of  the  collieries,  were 
hidden  as  deep  in  the  mist  as  ever  a  city  was  in  the  sea; 
and  had  there  been  stars  overhead  to  account -for  the  mul- 
titudinous fires  below,  this  region  of  man's  most  ceaseless 
activity  would  have  appeared  as  untrodden  as  any  ocean 
view  that  any  coast-land  of  the  north  could  show. 

In  rapt  contemplation  Kate  watched  the  centres  of  fire 
that  burst  through  the  evening  vapors,  as  her  own  desires 
had  burst  through  the  vague  dreams  that  had  so  long  en- 
veloped her  life.  Like  doves  seeking  a  place  to  rest  for  the 
night,  her  eyes  eagerly  followed  the  enigmatic  flight  of 
the  furnaces.  And  as  these  earth-stars  mounted  towards 
the  sky,  her  interest  in  them  became  more  intense;  it 
throbbed  in  her  brain  even  as  did  their  reverberating  lights 
in  the  air,  and  in  a  sort  of  palsied  amazement  she  watched 
them  as  a  child  might  a  glittering  flight  of  strange  butter- 
flies making  for  the  sea.  She  even  wondered  for  their 
safety.  At  last  a  furnace  blazed  into  existence  high  amid 
the  hills,  so  high  that  it  must  have  been  on  the  very  last 
verge.  It  seemed  to  Kate,  in  a  wild  moment,  like  a  hearth 
of  pleasure  and  comfort  that  was  awaiting  her  in  a  mystic 
and  unimagined  country,  and  for  some  time  her  enamored 
eyes  and  dreams  caressed  the  distant  light ;  but  soon  her 
glance  was  attracted  by  another  still  further  away,  still 
higher  in  the  heavens.  Then  quickly  her  fancies  followed, 
according  themselves  to  this  pale  luminary,  until  she  saw 
it  was  only  a  star  that  had  risen  above  the  hills.  Humili- 
ated, and  half  conscious  of  the  indefinite  allegory,  she 
sought  to  fix  her  interest  in  the  star,  but  below,  only  sepa- 


166  A  Mummer's  Wife 

rated  apparently  by  a  few  feet,  the  earthly  light  blazed  a 
carnal  red  as  if  in  answer  defiant  to  the  more  spiritual  pal- 
lor of  its  heavenly  sister. 

Then  Kate  forgot  her  fears  for  the  future.  Her  pas- 
sionate hate  of  the  present  returned  in  ten  times  accentu- 
ated force,  and  without  any  words  of  transition  she  flung 
her  arms  upon  Dick's  shoulder.  "  Oh,  yes,  Dick,  I'll  go  with 
you.  Why  shouldn't  I  ?  Are  you  not  everything  to  me  ?  I 
never  knew  what  happiness  was  till  I  saw  you;  I  never  had 
any  amusement,  I  never  had  any  love;  it  was  nothing  but 
drudgery  from  morning  to  night.  Better  be  dead  than  con- 
tinue such  an  existence.  Oh !  you  don't  know  what  it  is. 
I  have  been  a  good  wife ;  I  have  spent  whole  nights  sitting 
by  Ealph's  bedside  listening  to  his  wheezing,  giving  him 
his  medicines;  and  Avhat  did  I  get  for  it  but  coarseness 
and  abuse?  I  never  loved  him,  and  I  don't  think  he  ever 
loved  me  very  much;  at  any  rate,  he  has  never  shown  it. 
My  mother  and  his  made  up  the  marriage,  and  I  don't  know 
why  I  consented.  Ah,  if  I  hadn't  I  should  be  free  now, 
and  you  might  marry  me,  and  we  would  go  away  from  this 
horrible  place  together;  far  away  beyond  these  hills  that  I 
have  been  watching  since  I  was  a  child,  and  that  I'm  sick 
of  watching.  There  is  a  beautiful  country  far  by  the  sea — 
at  least,  I  have  read  there  is — and  we  shall  go  there.  Tell 
me,  Dick,  dear,  oh  my  darling !  tell  me  that  you'll  take  me 
away." 

Dick  listened  calmly  and  quietly  to  these  passionate  be- 
seechings,and  taking  her  in  his  arms  he  kissed  her  fervidly, 
though  somewhat  with  the  air  of  one  who  deems  further 
explanation  unnecessary.  But  when  he  withdrew  his  face 
Kate  continued,  at  first  plaintively,  but  afterwards  with 
more  passion — 

"  It  is  very  wicked,  I  know  it  is,  but  I  can't  help  myself. 
I  was  brought  up  religiously,  nobody  more  so,  but  I  never 
could  think  of  God  and  forget  this  world  like  my  mother 
and  Mrs.  Ede.  I  always  used  to  like  to  read  tales  about 
lovers,  and  I  used  to  feel  miserable  when  they  did  not 
marry  in  the  end  and  live  happily.  But  then  those  people 
were  good  and  pure,  and  were  commanded  to  love  each 
other,  whereas  I  am  sinful,  and  shall  be  punished  for  my 


A  Mummer's  Wife  167 

sin.  I  don't  know  how  that  will  be ;  perhaps  you  will  cease 
to  love  me^  and  will  abandon  me.  Ah,  when  you  cease  to 
love  I  hope  I  shall  die.  But  you  will  never  do  that,  Dick ; 
tell  me  that  you  will  not.  You  will  remember  that  I  gave 
up  a  great  deal  for  you ;  that  I  left  my  home  for  you ;  that 
I  left  everything." 

Dick  could  not  help  thinking  that  this  was  a  little  weari- 
some. He  was  very  fond  of  Kate,  and  she  liked  him,  and 
they  were  going  away  together;  so  far  he  knew,  so  much 
had  been  decided,  and  as  far  as  he  could  see  there  the  matter 
ended.  Besides,  it  was  getting  very  late;  the  third  act 
must  be  now  nearly  over,  and  he  had  a  lot  of  business  to 
get  through.  But  it  was  difficult  to  suggest  that  tliey 
should  go  home,  for  Kate,  unable  to  control  herself  any 
longer,  had  burst  into  tears,  and  it  was  necessary  to  console 
her. 

"  Don't  cry  like  that,  dear,"  he  said  softly,  "  we  shall  be 
far  away  from  here  to-morrow,  and  you  will  find  out  then 
how  well  I  love  you." 

"  Oh  !  do  you  really  love  me  ?  If  I  were  only  sure  that  it 
was  so." 

"  If  I  didn't  love  you,  why  should  I  ask  you  to  go  away 
with  me  ?    If  I  didn't  love  you,  could  I  kiss  you  as  I  do  ?  " 

These  words  reassured  Kate,  and  she  told  passionately 
how  her  love  had  grown  upon  her. 

"Of  course  we  have  been  very  wicked,  and  you  can't 
respect  me  very  much;  but  then  you  made  love  to  me  so, 
and  the  music  made  me  forget  everything.  It  wasn't  all 
my  fault,  I  think,  and  you  were  so  different  from  all  the 
other  men  I  have  seen — so  much  more  like  what  I  imagined 
a  man  should  be,  so  much  more  like  the  heroes  in  the  novels. 
In  tlio  books  there  is,  you  know,  always  a  tenor  who  comes 
and  sings  under  the  windows  in  the  moonlight,  and  sends 
the  lady  he  loves  roses.  You  never  sent  me  any  roses,  'tis 
true,  but  then  there  are  no  roses  in  Hanley.  But  then  you 
were  so  kind  and  nice,  and  spoke  so  different,  and  when 
I  looked  at  your  blue  eyes  I  couldn't  help  feeling  I  loved 
you.  I  really  think  I  knew — at  least  I  couldn't  talk  to  you 
quite  in  the  same  way  as  I  did  to  other  men.  You  remem- 
ber when  I  was  showing  you  over  the  rooms,  how  you 


168  A  Mummer's  Wife 

stopped  to  talk  to  me  al^out  tlio  pious  cards  Mrs.  Ede  had 
hung  on  the  wall.  Well  then,  since  then  I  felt  that  you  liked 
me.  And  it  was  so  different  since  you  came  to  live  in  the 
house.  I  didn't  see  much  of  you,  you  were  always  so  busy, 
but  I  used  to  lie  awake  at  night  to  hear  you  come  in." 

Dick  was  not  in  the  least  averse  to  hearing  himself 
praised,  but  he  nevertheless  found  it  impossible  to  forget 
the  accounts  he  had  to  go  through  with  the  manager  before 
leaving  the  town,  and  that  his  wardrobe  had  yet  to  be 
packed.  Where  they  were  to  sleep  that  night  he  hadn't  a 
notion,  but  that  was  a  detail.  Anyhow,  it  was  clear  they 
were  doing  no  good  where  they  were  and  he  had  to  get  back 
to  the  theatre. 

"  Look  here,  dear,  I  know  you  are  very  fond  of  me,  so  am 
I  of  you,  but  I  must  get  back  to  the  theatre.  You  have  no 
idea  of  the  business  I  have  to  get  through  to-night,  and  as 
we  are  going  away  together  we'll  have  to  look  out  for  some 
place  to  put  up." 

This  necessity  for  immediate  action  at  once  startled  and 
frightened  her,  and  bursting  again  into  a  passionate  fit  of 
sobbing  she  exclaimed — 

"  Oh,  Dick !  this  is  a  terrible  thing  you  are  asking  me  to 
do.  Oh !  what  will  become  of  me  ?  But  do  you  love  me  ? 
Tell  me  again  that  you  do  love  me,  and  that  you'll  not  leave 
me." 

Eeassuring  her  with  caresses  and  kind  words,  Dick  drew 
her  tenderly  away,  and  clasping  him  for  present  and  future 
protection,  she  allowed  herself  to  be  led.  She  did  not 
speak  again,  and  she  only  once  again  looked  towards  the 
hills,  the  misty  hills  that  had  so  silently  shadowed  and 
moulded  the  forms  of  her  thoughts. 

Like  a  river  of  flame  discharging  itself  into  an  ocean 
of  fire  Northwood  blazed.  On  the  right  distance  had 
blended  and  rendered  hazy  the  thousand  lights  of  South- 
wark,  until  it  seemed  like  one  of  the  luminous  clouds  that 
crown  the  vomiting  mouth  of  a  volcano.  The  furnace- 
fires  had  increased  by  tens;  each  dazzling  line  was  now 
crossed  and  interwoven  with  other  lines;  and  through  the 
tears  that  bhnded  her  eyes,  Kate  saw  an  immense  sea  of 
fire  and  beyond  nothing  but  unfathomable  gray. 


CHAPTER   XI 

I  HE  morning  of  the  following  day  was  misty,  and 
it  threatened  rain.  Nevertheless  bright,  hard 
shafts  of  sunlight  broke  occasionally  from  the 
gray  bondage  of  the  clouds,  and  danced  over  the 
wet  tiles  of  the  roofs.  One  of  these  escaped  rays  had  found 
its  way  through  the  dull  window  of  a  coffee-room.  The 
silver  of  the  cruet-stand  sparkled,  and  a  little  pool  of  light 
slept  on  a  corner  of  the  tablecloth,  within  a  few  inches  of 
Kate's  impatiently  moving  fingers. 

She  looked  anxiously  at  Dick,  who,  with  bent  head  and 
shoulders,  sat  eagerly  devouring  a  fat  chop.  The  meal 
seemed  to  her  interminable.  While  she  had  been  unable 
to  do  more  than  crumble  a  piece  of  bread  and  sip  a  cup  of 
tea,  he  had  been  emptying  plates  of  crumpets  and  racks  of 
toast.  Certain  that  they  would  never  be  able  to  reach  the 
station  in  time  to  catch  the  train,  she  felt  she  would  go 
mad  if  forced  to  spend  another  night  in  Hanley.  Her  dis- 
tress of  mind  fluctuated.  After  a  passionate  appeal  for 
haste,  her  anxiety  would  slip  from  her,  and  she  would 
abandon  herself  to  the  delight  of  dreaming  of  the  time  when 
she  would  see  the  landscape  passing  behind  her,  feel  the  wind 
in  her  face,  and  know  that  she  M^as  being  carried  as  fast  as 
steam  could  take  her  to  a  remote  country,  from  whence 
there  is  no  returning.  During  these  pauses  in  the  conver- 
sation Dick  chewed  the  succulent  meat  greedily,  and  asked 
himself  if  there  would  be  time  to  put  away  another  plate 
of  fried  eggs  before  ten  minutes  to  ten.  To  assure  himself 
on  this  point  he  had  to  turn  to  look  at  the  clock,  which  was 
behind  him.  The  movement  awaked  Kate  from  her  rev- 
eries, and  a  host  of  nervous  fears  flashed  upon  her. 

"Oh,  Dick,  Dick!  make  haste,  I  beg  of  you;  you  don't 
know  what  I'm  suffering.  Supposing  my  husband  was  to 
come  in  now  and  find  us  here,  what  should  I  do  ?  " 

"  He  can't  know  that  we  are  here ;  the  station  is  the  first 


170  A  Mummer's  Wife 

place  he'd  go  to ;  there's  no  use  hanging  about  there  longer 
than  we  can  help." 

"  Oh,  dear,  I'd  give  ten  years  of  my  life  if  we  were  once 
in  the  train.  And  Mrs.  Ede,  what  should  I  do  if  I  met  her  ? 
It  would  be  worse  than  Ealph." 

"There's  no  use  exciting  yourself  like  that,  dear;  I'll 
see  that  you  don't  meet  anyone." 

"  How  will  you  manage  that  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  in  the  cab.  I  think  on  the  whole  we'd 
better  start  now.  Luckily  we  haven't  much  luggage  to  de- 
lay us.    Waiter,  bring  the  bill  and  call  me  a  cab." 

Terrified  as  she  was  by  the  announcement  that  the  sta- 
tion was  to  be  feared  as  the  real  point  of  danger,  she  never- 
theless felt  that  she  would  prefer  to  brave  it  rather  than 
to  patiently  wait  to  be  ignominiously  captured  as  she  sat 
watching  Dick  finishing  another  plate  of  eggs  and  bacon. 

"  And  how  will  you  save  me  from  meeting  him  should  he 
be  there  before  us  ?  "  Kate  said  to  Dick  as  they  drove  away. 

"  I'll  leave  you  in  the  cab,  and  I'll  cut  down  and  see  if  he 
is  there." 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  couldn't  bear  to  be  left  alone  in  the  cab. 
He  might  come  from  behind  somewhere  and  find  me  when 
you  were  gone,  and  that  would  be  worse  than  anything.  He 
might  kill  me,  and  I  should  have  no  one  to  save  me." 

Dick  made  no  answer  to  Kate's  frightened  fancy.  He 
was,  in  truth,  a  little  puzzled  to  know  how  to  act.  There 
was  no  getting  away  from  the  fact  that  it  was  only  too 
possible,  not  to  say  probable,  that  they  would  find  Mr.  Ede 
waiting  for  them.  Disguises,  secret  doors,  and  remem- 
brances of  heroes  and  heroines  who  had  passed  under  their 
watcher's  nose  without  being  perceived  flashed  through  the 
actor's  mind;  but  masks  and  wigs  are  not  available  in  rail- 
way stations.  A  recollection  of  Falstaff  reminded  him  of 
the  wardrobe-baskets,  but  a  moment's  reflection  convinced 
him  of  the  impracticability  of  stowing  Kate  away  in  one  of 
these.  He  dreaded  the  strength  of  the  bottom,  and,  besides, 
what  was  to  be  done  with  the  dresses  ?  He  then  thought  of 
wrapping  a  railway  rug  around  his  newly-acquired  wife,  and 
carrying  her  thus  concealed  in  his  arms ;  but  that  would  not 


A  Mummer's  Wife  171 

do  either.  Mr.  Ede  would  be  sure  to  ask  him  what  he  had 
there — the  feet  would  be  sticking  out. 

Kate,  in  the  meanwhile  sutfering  agonies  of  mind, 
watched  the  great  brick  roads,  vistas  of  red  turning  to 
purple  on  the  left,  spaces  of  pure  red  on  the  right,  behind 
them  and  before  them  high  walls  of  pale  brown  melting 
into  ochre-color.  The  implacable  reality  of  these  mad- 
dened her;  her  mind  was  charged  with  visions  of  green 
fields  and  dreams  of  love  that  was  eternal.  This  would  be 
hers  if  she  could  only  escape.  Oh,  to  be  a  few  miles  away 
— only  a  few — and  look  out  of  the  railway-carriage  window 
and  see  Hanley  fading  out  of  sight!  For  the  moment  she 
knew  no  regret.  The  desire  of  escape  and  the  danger  she 
ran  of  capture  completely  dominated  her  mind,  and  she  was 
conscious  of  nothing  else.  The  thoughts  of  the  man  and  the 
woman  did  not  run  on  similar  lines,  but  they  tended  to- 
wards the  same  point.  For,  sum  the  question  up  as  they 
would,  they  found  themselves  still  face  to  face  with  the  still 
unsolved  question  of  what  they  were  going  to  do  if  they 
met  Mr.  Ede.    At  length,  after  a  long  silence,  Kate  said : 

"  Oh,  Dick,  dear !  what  shall  I  do  if  we  find  him  waiting 
on  the  platform  ?  You  will  protect  me,  will  you  not  ?  You 
will  not  desert  me !    I  couldn't  go  back  to  him." 

"  Of  course  not.  Let  him  take  you  away  from  me  ?  Not 
me !  If  you  don't  want  to  live  with  him  any  more  you 
have  a  right  to  leave  him.  If  he  gives  me  any  of  his  cheek 
I'll  knock  him  down." 

"  You  won't  do  that,  will  you,  dear  ?  Eemember  how 
small  and  weak  he  is ;  you'd  kill  him. 

"  That's  true,  so  I  would.  Well,  I'm  damned  if  I  know 
what  to  do ;  I  was  never  in  such  a  fix  in  my  life.  One  thing 
is  clear,  you'll  have  to  come  with  me  even  if  he  does  kick 
up  a  row  and  wants  to  get  you  back.  It  will  be  deuced  un- 
pleasant, and  before  the  whole  company  too.  Don't  you 
think  that  you  could  wait  a  moment  in  the  cab  while  I  have 
a  look  round — I  won't  go  far." 

"  Oh,  I'd  be  too  afraid !  Couldn't  you  ask  some  one  to 
go  for  you  ?  " 

"  I'll  see  who's  there,"  said  Dick,  twisting  his  neck  to 
look  round  the  corner.    "  By  Jove !  they're  all  there — Beau- 


173  A  Mummer's  Wife 

mont,  Dolly  Goddard,  and  that  confounded  bore  Mortimer, 
and  Montgomery.  I  think  I'll  ask  Montgomery,  he's  a 
devilish  good  chap.  We  had  better  stop  the  cab  here  and 
I'll  call  to  him." 

Kate  consented,  and  a  moment  after  the  musician's  im- 
mense nose  and  scarecrow  face  was  poked  in  the  window. 

"  Hey,  old  pal,  what  is  it  ?    Waiting — but — I  beg ^" 

"  Never  mind  that,"  said  Dick,  laying  his  hand  on  the 
young  fellow's  arm ;  "  I  want  you  to  do  me  a  great  favor. 
I  want  you  to  cut  down  on  the  platform,  and  see  if  there's 
a  little  scraggy  man  about  the  height  of  Dubois  hanging 
about  anywhere.  You  can't  mistake  him :  he  has  a  dirty 
dark  beard  that  grows  on  his  face  like  a  bunch  of  grass,  and 
he's  no  chest,  little  thin  shoulders,  and  he'd  have  on " 

"  A  pair  of  gray  trousers,  and  a  red  woollen  comforter 
round  his  neck,"  whispered  Kate,  feeling  bitterly  ashamed. 

"  All  right,"  said  Montgomery,  "  I'll  spot  him  if  he's 
there.  But  you  know  that  the  train  goes  in  ten  minutes 
or  less,  and  Hayes  says  that  he  can't  take  the  tickets,  that 
you  have  all  the  coin." 

"  So  I  have ;  I  forgot  to  send  it  round  to  him  last  night. 
Ask  him  to  step  up  here,  there's  a  good  fellow." 

"  Now,  I  bet  you  Ha3^es  won't  be  able  to  get  the  tickets 
right.  He's  perfectly  useless,  always  boozed— nipping  you 
know." 

Kate  did  not  answer,  and  an  uneasy  silence  ensued,  which 
was  broken  at  length  by  the  appearance  of  a  hiccuping, 
long-whiskered  man. 

"How  are  you,  o-o-ld  man.     Eh!  who  is ?    I  don't 

think  I  have  the  pleasure  of  this  lady's  acquaintance." 

"  No  ?  Mrs.  Ede,  Mr.  Hayes,  our  acting  manager.  Now, 
look  here,  Hayes,  you  go  and  get  the  tickets.  I  can't  leave 
this  lady.     Thirty-five  will  do." 

"  How  thirt^r-five  ?    AVe  travel  forty-one." 

"  You  know  well  enough  that  thirty-five  is  what  we  al- 
ways get.    Damn  it,  man,  make  haste." 

"  Don't  damn  me.  New  member  of  the  com-com-pany, 
eh  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  about  that  after,  old  man,"  said  Dick, 
leaning  forward  and  pretending  to  whisper  confidentially. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  173 

This  satisfied  the  tippler,  who,  after  pulling  his  silky 
whiskers  and  serving  Kate  to  another  blank,  drunken  stare, 
hurried  off,  blaek  bag  in  hand. 

"  Confounded  nuisance  it  is  to  have  to  deal  with  a  fellow 
like  that.  He's  perfectly  incapable,  and  he  thinks  he's  such 
a  dab  at  business — and  'tis  for  show  that  he  always  goes 
about  with  the  black  bag." 

Kate  wondered  how  Dick  could  talk  about  such  things. 
She  was  trembling,  and  her  brain  throbbed.  Leaning  back 
in  the  cab  she  placed  her  hands  before  her  eyes.  Two  min- 
utes, ma3^be  three,  passed;  it  seemed  to  her  an  eternity,  and 
then  she  heard  Montgomery's  voice  crying, 

"  'Tis  all  right.    There's  no  such  person  there,  I'm  sure." 

Kate  felt  her  mind  grow  clear,  and  the  strain  on  her 
nerves  was  relaxed.  She  looked  at  Montgomery  and  read 
in  his  eye  that  he  was  her  friend.  The  glance  was  as  cheer- 
ing as  is  the  song  of  a  bird  amid  the  wet  trees  when  the 
storm  is  over. 

"  Then  get  out,  dear,"  said  Dick,  "  we  haven't  a  moment 
to  lose." 

Kate  jumped  out  on  the  pavement,  but  she  hadn't  walked 
a  dozen  yards  before  she  stopped  panic-stricken. 

"  Mrs.  Ede — my  mother-in-law — perhaps  she  is  there  ! 
Oh,  Dick!  what  shall  I  do?" 

"'  I  know  whom  you  mean.  She  isn't  there.  I  couldn't 
mistake,  for  I  know  her  by  sight." 

As  she  hurried  towards  the  station,  Kate  looked  again 
at  Montgomery;  their  eyes  met,  and  they  felt  they  were 
signing  a  sort  of  compact  of  friendship.  For  now  tliat 
she  was  really  adrift  in  a  new  world,  amid  strange  people, 
the  slight  fact  of  his  knowing  her  mother-in-law  by 
sight  meant  to  her  what  a  footprint  does  to  a  lost  one  in 
a  desert. 

As  they  passed  through  the  station  they  were  stared  at. 
Kate  was  astonished  at  the  number  of  people.  They  re- 
minded her  of  a  school.  The  girls  strolled  about  in  groups 
and  couples.  Some  had  paired  off  with  young  men.  Joe 
Mortimer  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  platform,  and  ha- 
rangued a  small  crowd  that  had  collected  round  him.  Dick 
smiled  and  nodded  to  everybody.    Kate  felt  a  little  proud 


174  A  Mummer's  Wife 

when  she  jierceived  he  was  not  ashamed  of  her.  lie  did  not 
speak  to  lier,  but  rushed  about,  dragging  her  after  him, 
giving  orders  everywhere.  The  gray  asphalt  was  strewn 
with  luggage  of  all  kinds — brown  portmanteaus  and  huge 
white  baskets.  All  were  labelled  "  Morton  and  Cox's  Oper- 
atic Company."  The  baggage-man  was  shouting  at  porters, 
and  ladies  of  the  company  ran  after  the  baggage-man. 

"  We  shall  be  off  in  a  minute,  dear,"  Dick  whispered 
softly  in  her  ear,  "  and  then " 

"  Whose  carriage  are  you  going  in,  Dick  ?  "  said  a  little 
stout  man  who  walked  with  a  strut  and  wore  a  hat  like  a 
bishop's. 

"  I  really  don't  know :  I  don't  mind ;  anywhere  except 
with  the  pipe-smokers.    I  can't  stand  that  lot." 

"  Perhaps  he's  going  to  take  a  first-class  compartment 
witli  hot-water  pans,"  remarked  Mortimer. 

This  little  speech  was  delivered  in  the  usual  nasal  twang 
which  was  supposed  to  convert  the  baldest  platitudes  into 
the  keenest  wit,' and  the  little  group  of  admirers  all  laughed 
consumedly. 

Dick,  who  overheard  what  had  been  said,  let  his  face 
cloud,  and  he  said,  half  to  himself,  half  to  Kate : — 

"  What  a  confounded  fool  that  fellow  Mortimer  is !  I 
very  nearly  kicked  him  into  the  orchestra  at  Halifax  about 
six  months  ago." 

"  What  do  they  think  of  me  ?  "  replied  Kate,  very  fright- 
ened.    "  I'm  afraid  they  all  despise  me." 

"  Oh,  nonsense.  Despise  you  ?  I  should  like  to  know 
what  for.  But  what  compartment  shall  we  take?  You 
know  we  always  travel  in  separate  cliques.  Let's  go  with 
Leslie  and  Dubois  and  Montgomery;  they  are  the  quietest. 
Let  me  introduce  you  to  Miss  Leslie.  Miss  Leslie,  Mrs. 
Ede — a  lady  I'm  escorting  to  Blackpool." 

"  I'm  afraid  you'll  find  us  a  very  noisy  lot,  Mrs.  Ede," 
said  Miss  Leslie,  in  a  way  that  made  Kate  feel  intimate  with 
her  at  once. 

"Now  look  here,"  exclaimed  Dick,  "you  two  talk  to- 
gether. I  won't  go  far ;  I'll  be  back  in  a  minute,  but  I  must 
see  after  Hayes;  if  I  don't  he  may  forget  all  about  the 
tickets." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  175 

Kate  was  ashamed  to  stop  him ;  and  once  he  was  gone  her 
fears  of  meeting  lier  husband  returned,  and  the  strange 
faces  terrified  her.  They  were  of  all  sorts,  and  were  rec- 
ognizable by  marked  similarity.  Miss  Leslie  had  a  bright 
smiling  face,  with  clear  blue  eyes,  and  a  mop  of  dyed  hair 
peeped  from  under  a  prettily-ribboned  bonnet,  and  Kate, 
notwithstanding  her  trouble,  could  not  help  noticing  how 
beautifully  cut  were  the  plaits  of  her  skirt,  from  under 
which  an  arched  foot  in  tightly  buttoned  leather  was  con- 
stantly advanced.  Miss  Beaumont  sported  large  diamonds 
in  her  ears,  and  she  wore  a  somewhat  frayed  yellow  French 
cloak  which,  she  explained  to  the  girls  near  her,  particu- 
larly to  her  pal,  Dolly  Goddard,  was  quite  good  enough  for 
travelling.  The  friendship  between  these  two  no  one  in 
the  company  could  understand.  The  knowing  ones  declared 
that  Dolly  was  Beaumont's  daughter ;  others,  who  professed 
to  be  more  knowing,  entertained  other  views.  Dolly  was 
a  tiny  girl  with  crumpled  features,  who  wore  dresses  that 
were  re-made  from  the  big  woman's  cast-off  garments.  She 
sang  in  the  chorus,  was  in  receipt  of  a  salary  of  five-and- 
twenty  shillings  a  week,  and  was  a  favorite  with  everyone. 
Around  her  stood  a  group  of  girls;  they  formed  a  black 
mass  of  cotton,  alpaca,  and  dirty  cloth.  A  little  on  the 
right  half  a  dozen  chorus-men  talked  seriously  of  the  pos- 
sibility of  getting  another  drink  before  the  train  came  up. 
Their  frayed  boots  and  threadbare  frock  coats  would  have 
caused  them  to  be  mistaken  for  street  idlers,  but  that  one 
or  two  of  their  number  exhibited  patent  leathers  and  smart 
made-up  cravats  of  the  latest  fashion.  Everywhere  some 
contradiction  was  observed.  Dubois's  hat  gave  him  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  bishop,  his  tight  trousers  confounded  him 
with  a  groom.  Joe  Mortimer  made  up  very  well,  with  his 
set  expression  of  face,  and  his  long  curls,  for  the  actor 
whose  friends  once  believed  he  was  a  genius.  But  it  was 
Montgomery  who  had  been  struck  the  most  decidedly  with 
the  trade-mark  that  had  been  laid  sometimes  lightly,  some- 
times heavily,  upon  this  band  of  travelling  mummers.  Al- 
though it  was  clear  that  they  were  separated  as  much  by 
birth  as  they  were  by  education,  as  much  by  fortune  as  they 
were  by  talent,  it  was  nevertheless  curious  to  remark  how 


176  A  Mummer's  Wife 

they  were  united  by  that  inexpressible  something,  that  look 
of  unrest,  that  homeless  air,  which  change  of  place  and 
fortune  imprints  upon  the  human  vagrant.  There  was  the 
same  difference  between  the  worthy  tradesman  walking 
with  his  wife  at  the  other  end  of  the  platform,  and  these 
forty-two  wanderers,  as  there  is  between  the  firm  land  that 
the  peasant  tills  and  the  loose  sand  that  the  sea-wind  blows. 
Montgomery  was  a  perfect  specimen:  the  very  tails  of  his 
long  Newmarket  coat  seemed  as  if  they  would  preclude  his 
frail  body  from  resting  long  in  any  one  place,  just  as  the 
down  of  the  dandelion  catches  the  breeze  and  hurries  the 
floating  seed  away.  His  face  was  generally  seen  in  profile, 
for  he  had  a  knack  of  leaning  his  head  to  the  left  and  right 
as  he  talked,  and  a  profile  in  Montgomery's  case  meant  a 
long  nose  and  a  side  view  of  a  pince-nez.  He  spoke  of  finales 
and  the  difiiculty  he  experienced  when  he  first  went  into  an 
orchestra  of  beating  two  in  a  bar.  Even  now  when  he  was 
talking  to  Kate,  who  shrank  back  trembling  at  the  appear- 
ance of  every  fresh  face  on  the  platform,  he  could  not 
divest  his  conversation  of  theatrical  allusions.  Around  the 
unfortunate  woman  a  circle  was  forming.  Only  Miss 
Leslie,  little  Dubois,  who  had  of  course  undertaken  to  put 
every  thing  to  rights,  talked  to  her;  the  others  stood  as 
near  to  her  as  they  could,  to  listen  and  watch.  The  news 
that  Dick  was  running  away  with  a  married  woman,  and 
that  the  husband  was  expected  to  appear  every  minute  to 
stop  her,  had  gone  about.  It  had  reached  even  the  ears  of 
the  chorus-men  in  the  refreshment-room,  and  they  gulped 
down  their  beer  and  hurried  back  to  see  the  sport.  Morti- 
mer declared  that  they  were  going  to  see  Dick  for  the  first 
time  in  legitimate  drama,  and  that  he  wouldn't  miss  it  for 
the  world.  The  joke  was  repeated  through  the  groups,  and 
everyone  was  convulsed  with  laughter.  Beaumont  alone  spoke 
unkindly,  and  she  whispered,  and  in  whispers  that  were  too 
audible,  that  she  couldn't  understand  how  Dick  was  such  a 
fool,  that  they  didn't  want  a  shopwoman  travelling  with 
them.  These  remarks  did  not,  however,  meet  with  much 
approval,  and  the  fat  woman  had  many  indignant  glances 
levelled  at  her.  She  did  not  seem  to  mind :  but  when  Kate, 
whose  agony  of  mind  had  for  some  time  past  been  growing 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  177 

intolerable,  burst  into  tears,  Beaumont,  looking  a  little 
ashamed,  pressed  forward  to  see  and  console.  Her  efforts 
were  however  repulsed,  and  then  a  very  pretty  movement 
of  commiseration  was  visible  in  the  crowd.  Miss  Leslie 
pulled  out  a  lace  handkerchief  which  she  pressed  against 
Kate's  eyes,  and  in  the  gray  twilight  which  fell  through  the 
dirty  glass  roofing,  the  weeping  woman  walked  aside  with 
her  new-found  friend. 

Immediately  after  a  growling  noise  was  heard,  and  the 
green-painted  engine,  enshrouded  in  its  white  steam,  puffed 
into  sight,  and  at  the  same  moment,  dragging  drunken  Mr. 
Hayes  along  with  him,  Dick  was  also  seen  making  his  way 
towards  them  from  the  refreshment-room. 

Then  Kate  felt  glad,  and  almost  triumphantly  she  dashed 
the  tears  from  her  eyes.  No  one  now  could  stop  her.  She 
was  going  away,  and  with  Dick,  to  be  loved  and  live  happy 
forever.  Beaumont  was  forgotten,  and  the  fierce  longing 
for  change  she  had  been  so  long  nourishing  now  completely 
mastered  her,  and,  with  a  childlike  impetuosity,  she  rushed 
up  to  her  lover,  and,  leaning  on  his  arm,  strove  to  speak. 
She  could  not  find  words  for  passion. 

"  What  is  it,  dear  ? "  he  said,  bending  towards  her. 
"  What  are  you  crying  about  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothing,  Dick.  I'm  so  happy.  Oh  !  were  we  once 
outside  this  station  !    \Micre  shall  I  get  in  ?  " 

Even  if  her  husband  did  come,  and  she  were  taken  back, 
she  thought  that  she  would  like  to  have  been  at  least  inside 
a  railway  carriage. 

"  Get  in  here.    Where's  Montgomery  ?    Let's  have  him." 

"  And,  oh !  do  ask  Miss  Leslie  ?  She  has  been  so  kind  to 
me." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  she  always  travels  with  ns,"  said  Dick,  stand- 
ing at  the  carriage  door.  "  Come,  get  in,  Montgomery,  and 
do  make  haste,  Dubois." 

"  But  where's  Bret  ?  "  shouted  some  one. 

"  I  haven't  seen  him,"  replied  several  voices. 

"  Is  there  any  lady  missing?  "  asked  Montgomery. 

"  No,"  replied  Mortimer  in  the  deepest  nasal  intonation 
he  could  assume,  "  but  I  noticed  a  relation  of  the  chief 
12 


178  A  Mummer's  Wife 

banker  in  the  town  in  the  theatre  last  night.  Perhaps  our 
friend  has  had  his  checlv  stopped." 

Eoars  of  laughter  greeted  this  sally^  the  relevance  of 
which  no  one  could  even  faintly  guess:  and  the  guard 
smiled  as  he  said  to  the  porter: 

"  That's  Mr.  Mortimer.  Amusing  is  them  theatre  gentle- 
men." Then  turning  to  Dick,  "  I  must  start  the  train. 
Your  friend  will  be  late  if  he  don't  come  up  jolly  quick." 

"  Isn't  it  extraordinary  that  Bret  can  never  be  up  to 
time  ?  Every  night  there's  a  stage  wait  for  him  to  come  on 
for  the  serenade,"  said  Dick,  withdrawing  his  head  from  the 
window. 

"  Here  'e  is,  sir,"  said  the  guard. 

"  Come  on,  Bret ;  you'll  be  late,"  shouted  Dick. 

A  tall,  thin  man  in  a  velvet  coat,  urged  on  by  two  porters, 
was  seen  making  his  way,  with  a  speed  that  was  evidently 
painful,  down  the  platform. 

"  Come  in  here,"  said  Dick,  opening  the  door  and  haul- 
ing the  panting  creature  into  the  moving  train. 

Out  of  the  dim  station  they  passed  into  the  bright  air; 
but  it  was  some  time  before  they  got  out  of  the  huge  ways 
and  embankments  of  brick  that  impeded  on  every  side 
the  view.  There  were  long  lines  of  coal-wagons,  and  others 
laden  with  the  produce  of  Hanley — chimney-pots  and  tiles. 
These  were  covered  with  black  tarpaulin,  and  the  impres- 
sion produced  was  tliat  of  a  funeral  procession  marching 
through  a  desert  whose  color  was  red.  The  collieries 
steamed  above  their  cinder-hills,  the  factory  chimneys 
belched  forth  their  filthy  smoke,  and  looking  at  the  passing 
vision  Kate  strove  to  feel  perfectly  glad.  For  suddenly  her 
joy  had  been  touched  by  the  light,  sharp  wings  of  that  sor- 
row which  is  so  completely  a  part  of  our  nature,  that  we  are 
conscious  of  its  presence  even  in  bidding  good-by  to  things 
that  we  hate ;  and  as  she  looked  out  on  this  world  of  work 
that  she  was  leaving  forever,  she  listened  at  once  to  the  un- 
certain trouble  that  mounted  up  through  her  mind,  and  to 
the  voices  of  the  actors  talking  of  comic  songs  and  dances. 

Then  instinctively  she  put  out  her  hand  to  find  Dick's. 
He  was  sitting  beside  her,  and  she  felt  happy  again.  At 
these  intimacies  none  but  Frank  Bret  seemed  in  the  least 


A  Mummer's  Wife  179 

surprised,  and  the  laugh  that  made  Kate  blush  was  occa- 
sioned by  the  tenor's  stupid  look  of  bewilderment.  It  was 
the  first  time  he  had  seen  her,  and  the  story  of  her  elope- 
ment he  had  not  yet  heard.  His  glance  went  from  one  to 
the  other,  vainly  demanding  an  explanation:  to  increase 
the  hilarity  Dick  said : 

"But,  by  the  way,  Bret,  what  made  you  so  late  this 
morning  ?    Were  you  down  at  the  bank  cashing  a  check  ?  " 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of  ?  There  are  no  banks  open 
on  Sunday  morning,"  said  Bret,  who  of  course  had  not  the 
least  idea  what  was  meant. 

The  reply  provoked  peals  of  laughter  from  all  save  Miss 
Leslie,  and  all  possible  changes  were  rung  on  the  joke  until 
it  became  as  nauseous  to  the  rest  of  the  company  as  to  the 
bewildered  tenor,  who  bore  the  chaff  with  the  dignified 
stupidity  of  good  looks. 

They  were  in  a  third-class  railway  carriage.  Kate  sat 
next  the  window,  with  her  back  to  the  engine;  Dick  was 
beside  her,  Miss  Leslie  faced  her;  then  came  Dubois  and 
Bret,  with  Montgomery  at  the  far  end. 

The  conversation,  which  had  fallen  to  the  ground  on  the 
expiration  of  the  Sunday  check  joke,  had  just  been  re- 
sumed. Dubois  was  explaining  his  method  of  delivering 
blank  verse,  much  to  Bret's  and  IMontgomery's  amusement. 
Dick  sought  to  attract  Miss  Leslie's  attention,  and  passing 
his  arm  around  Kate's  waist  to  draw  her  closer,  the  three 
whispered  together. 

"  Now,  I  want  you  two  to  be  pals,"  he  said.  "  Lucy  is 
one  of  my  oldest  friends.  I  knew  her  when  she  was  so 
higii,  and  it  was  I  who  gave  her  her  first  part — wasn't  it, 
Lucy?" 

"  Yes.  Don't  you  remember,  Dick,  the  first  night  I 
played  Florette  in  the  Brigands?  Oh !  wasn't  I  in  a  fright ! 
And  do  you  remember  how  you  pushed  me  on  the  stage 
from  the  wings  ?  " 

Leslie  had  a  way  of  raising  her  voice  as  she  spoke  until 
it  ended  in  a  laugh  and  a  display  of  white  teeth.\  Kate 
thought  she  had  never  seen  any  one  look  so  nice  or  heard 
any  one  speak  so  sweetly.  In  fact  she  liked  her  better  off  the 
stage  than  on.    The  others  she  did  not  yet  recognize.    They 


180  A  Mummer's  Wife 

were  still  to  lier  figures  moving  through  an  agitated  dream. 
Leslie  was  the  first  to  awalce  to  life. 

The  tendency  of  Dick's  conversation  was  to  wander;  but 
after  having  indulged  for  some  time  in  the  pleasures  of 
retrospection,  returning  to  the  subject  in  point,  he  said: 

"  Well,  it's  a  bit  difficult  to  explain.  But,  you  see,  this 
lady,  Mrs.  Ede,  was  not  very  happy  at  home,  and  having 
a  nice  voice — you  must  hear  her  sing  some  Angot — and 
such  an  ear !  She  never  heard  the  waltz  but  once,  and  she 
can  give  it  note  for  note.  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short, 
she  thought  she'd  cut  it,  and  try  what  she  could  do  with 
us." 

Covered  with  confusion,  Kate  appealed  to  Dick  to  say  no 
more. 

"  My  dear,  everybody  in  the  company,"  he  answered, 
"  knows  something  al^out  it  already.  Isn't  it  better  they 
should  know  the  true  story  than  to  have  them  concocting 
nonsense  ?  " 

"  Besides,"  said  Miss  Leslie,  "  what  can  a  woman  do  if 
she's  unhappy  at  home  but  to  leave  home  ?  " 

The  philosophy  of  this  remark  was  very  soothing  to 
Kate's  feelings,  and  she  murmured: 

"  You  are  all  very  kind ;  but  I'm  afraid  I've  been  very 
wicked." 

"  Oh  my ! "  said  Miss  Leslie,  laughing,  "  you  mustn't 
talk  like  that,  you'll  put  us  all  to  the  blush." 

"  I  wonder  how  such  theories  would  suit  Beaumont's 
book  ?  "  said  Dick. 

Seeing  how  little  she  could  understand  of  the  ideas  and 
conversation  of  her  present  companions,  Kate  could  not 
help  feeling  a  little  miserable.  She  was  tlie  tame  sparrow, 
born  and  reared  in  captivity,  who,  finding  the  door  of  its 
cage  open,  had  spread  its  tiny  wings  and  was  striving  to 
fly  with  the  swallows.  She  leaned  back,  and  taking  no 
further  part  in  the  conversation,  listened  vaguely  to  Dick, 
who  explained  how  he  and  Kate  had  left  Hanley  without 
a  stitch  of  clothes,  and  would  have  to  buy  everything  in 
Derby.  To  be  able  to  talk  more  at  his  ease  he  had  begged  of 
Bret  to  move  down  a  bit,  and  allow  him  to  get  next  to 
Leslie. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  181 

The  tenor,  conductor,  and  second  low  comedian  had 
spread  a  rug  over  their  knees,  and  were  playing  Nap.  They 
shouted,  laughed,  and  sang,  when  they  made  or  anticipated 
making  points,  portions  of  their  evening  music.  Kate  was 
left,  therefore,  to  herself,  and  she  looked  out  of  the  window. 

They  were  passing  through  the  most  beautiful  parts  of 
Staffordshire,  and  she  saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  places  she 
had  so  often  read  of  in  her  novels.  It  seemed  to  her  just 
like  the  spot  where  the  lady  with  the  oval  face  used  to  read 
Shelley  to  the  handsome  baronet  when  her  husband  was 
away  doctoring  the  countryfolk. 

The  day  was  full  of  mist  and  sun.  Along  the  edges  of 
the  woods  the  white  vapors  heaved,  half  concealing  the 
forms  of  the  grazing  kine;  and  the  light  shadows  floated 
on  the  grass,  long  and  prolonged,  even  as  the  memories  that 
were  now  filling  the  mind  of  this  sentimental  workwoman. 
Her  heart  beat;  and,  silent  with  expectation,  she  savored 
a  joy  that  was  ineffable.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  was 
now  on,  or  almost  on,  the  threshold  of  a  new  life — the  life 
of  which  she  had  so  long  dreamed.  Her  lover  was  near  her, 
but  ah,  why  were  they  not  walking  together,  side  by  side,  in 
those  fair  grass-grown  places,  plucking  as  they  went  the 
wet  leaves  that  brushed  across  their  way?  There  were 
birds  singing  there;  but  in  her  imagination  the  clinking 
of  needles  and  the  rustling  of  silk  were  mingled  with  the 
loud  thrilling  of  the  thrushes.  Then  forgetting  the  land- 
scape, with  a  sigh  she  set  to  thinking  of  what  they  were 
saying  of  her  at  home. 

She  knew  Mrs.  Ede  would  refuse  for  a  long  time  to  be- 
lieve ;  she  would  have  the  whole  town  searched,  and  when 
it  was  no  longer  possible  to  entertain  a  doubt,  she  would 
say  that  Kate's  name  must  not  again  be  mentioned  in  her 
presence.  Kate  asked  herself  if  it  would  be  possible  to 
write  and  explain.  Alas !  Wliat  could  she  say  ?  It  was 
terrible  to  think  that  the  old  woman  would  forever  hate 
and  detest  her — her  whom  she  had  once  loved  so  dearly. 
As  for  her  husband,  Kate  felt  she  did  not  care  quite  so 
much  what  he  thought  of  her ;  nor,  indeed,  could  she  quite 
imagine  what  the  attitude  of  his  mind  would  be.  In  turn 
she  fancied  him  swearing,  and  cursing,  and  sending  the 


182  A  Mummer's  Wife 

police  after  her;  and  then  he  would  appear  to  her  as  a 
sullen,  morose  figure,  moving  about  the  shop,  growling  oc- 
casionally at  his  mother,  and  muttering  from  time  to  time 
that  he  was  devilish  glad  that  his  wife  had  gone  away.  She 
would  have  wished  him  to  regret  her;  and  when  she  re- 
membered the  little  girls,  she  felt  the  tears  rise  to  her  eyes. 
What  exjjlanation  would  be  given  to  them?  Would 
they  too  learn  to  hate  her?  She  thought  not;  but 
still  they  would  have  to  give  over  coming  to  the  shop — 
there  was  no  one  now  to  teach  them  sewing.  Her 
absence  would  change  everything.  Mrs.  Ede  would  never 
be  able  to  get  on  with  Miss  Hender,  and  even  if  she 
did,  neither  of  them  knew  enough  of  dressmaking  to  keep 
the  business  going.  What  would  happen  then?  she  asked 
herself  sorrowfully.  They  would  not  be  able  to  live  upon 
what  they  sold  in  the  shop — that  was  a  mere  nothing. 
Poor  Ealph's  dreams  of  plate-glass  and  lamps !  Where 
were  they  now?  Mrs.  Ede's  thirty  pounds  a  year  would 
barely  pay  the  rent.  A  vision  of  destruction  and  brokers 
passed  before  her  mind,  and  she  realized  for  the  first  time 
the  immense  importance  of  the  step  she  had  taken.  Not 
only  was  her  own  future  hidden  in  the  darkest  of  gulfs, 
on  whose  face  she  could  read  no  sentence,  no  word,  no 
letter,  but  that  of  those  she  had  left  behind  was,  through 
her,  equally  plunged  in  o])scurity.  All  the  miseries  she  had 
endured  were  forgotten ;  she  thought  only  of  the  kindnesses 
she  had  received,  of  the  quiet,  certain  life  she  might  have 
led,  in  and  out  from  the  shop  to  the  front  kitchen,  and  up 
to  her  workroom.  After  all,  that  was  her  own.  Kow  she 
had  nothing  but  this  man's  love.  Ah !  if  she  were  to  lose 
that !  With  an  effort  she  swept  the  thought  from  her  mind 
and  cast  upon  Dick  a  look  of  passionate  entreaty. 

He  immediately  responded,  and,  leaving  Miss  Leslie. 
came  and  sat  down  by  her.  The  attention  was  very  gratify- 
ing, and  Kate  knew  she  was  blushing  with  pleasure. 
Trembling  with  a  mingled  sense  of  fear  for  the  future 
and  love  of  the  present,  she  laid  her  hand  upon  his,  and 
said. 

"  Oh.  Dick  !  tell  me  that  you  love  me  a  little  bit,  and  that 
you  won't  leave  me." 


A  Mtimmer's  Wife  183 

"  Leave  you !  why  aren't  we  going  away  together  ?  " 

Leslie  smiled  at  the  lovers ;  and  moving  towards  the  card- 
players,  she  placed  her  arm  round  Bret's  shoulders  and  ex- 
amined his  hand.  Then  the  three  men  raised  their  heads. 
Dubois,  with  the  cynicism  of  the  ugly  little  man  who  has 
ever  had,  both  in  real  and  fictitious  life,  to  play  the  part 
of  the  disdained  lover,  giggled,  leered,  and  pointed  over  his 
shoulder.  Montgomery  smiled  too,  but  a  close  observer 
would  detect  in  him  the  yearnings  of  a  young  man  from 
whose  plain  face  the  falling  fruit  is  ever  invisibly  lifted. 
Bret  looked  round  also,  but  his  look  was  the  indifferent 
stare  of  him  to  whom  love  has  come  often,  and  he  glanced 
as  idly  at  the  picture  as  a  worn-out  gourmet  would  over  the 
menu  of  a  table  d'hote  dinner. 

A  moment  after  all  eyes  were  again  fixed  on  the  game, 
and,  unobserved,  Dick  and  Kate  talked  from  their  different 
points  of  view.  She  was  anxious  to  hear  of  his  unalterable 
affection,  and  she  sought  in  sentimental  phrases  to  explain 
how  definitely  her  life  was  bound  up  in  his.  He,  however, 
was  too  deeply  interested  in  thinking  of  how  they  were 
going  to  manage  when  they  got  to  Derby,  to  follow  exactly 
the  thread  of  her  argument.  There  was  a  very  nice  lodging 
where  he  might  take  her,  but  he  was  puzzled  to  imagine 
liow  he  would  account  for  their  want  of  luggage  to  the  land- 
lady.   Interrupting  her  suddenly  he  said, 

"  I  can  give  you  twenty  pounds  to  fit  yourself  out.  Do 
you  think  you  could  manage  with  that  ?  " 

"  Manage  with  twenty  pounds !  Of  course  I  could,  on 
half  that ;  you  forget  I  can  make  my  own  dresses." 

"  Yes,  but  that'd  take  time,  and  I'd  like  you  to  look  a 
bit  neat,  and  you  forget  you  have  to  buy  everything ;  a  trunk 
alone  will  cost  you  three  pounds." 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  putting  you  to  a  lot  of  expense,  dear." 

"  Not  more  than  you  are  worth.  You  don't  know  what  a 
pleasant  time  we  shall  have  travellin'  about;  it  is  so  tire- 
some bein'  always  alone.  There's  no  society  in  these  coun- 
try towns,  but  i  sha'n't  want  society  now." 

"  And  do  you  think  that  you  won't  get  tired  of  me  ?  Will 
you  never  care  again  for  any  of  these  fine  ladies?"  asked 
Kate,  turning  her  large  voluptuous  brown  eyes  on  to  Dick 


184  A  Mummer's  Wife 

until  they  drew  his  lips  down  to  hers.  The  kiss  was  deli- 
cious, and  the  fear  of  being  seen  by  the  others,  who  were 
all  wrangling  for  the  deal,  rendered  it  unutterably  thrilling. 

In  the  tunnels  which  they  passed  through  the  tempta- 
tion to  repeat  the  experiment  was  irresistible,  but  owing  to 
Dubois's  attempt  to  light  matches  it  ended  in  failure.  Dick 
bumped  his  head  severely  against  the  woodwork  of  the  car- 
riage; Kate  felt  she  hated  the  little  comedian,  and  before 
she  recovered  her  temper  the  train  began  to  slacken  speed 
and  there  were  frequent  calls  from  the  windows  of  the  dif- 
ferent compartments  for  Dick. 

"  Is  the  railway  company  going  to  stand  us  treat  this 
journey  ?  "  shouted  Mortimer. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Dick,  putting  his  head  out,  "  seven  the 
last  time  and  seven  this ;  we  should  have  more  than  a  couple 
of  quid." 

When  the  train  stopped  and  a  voice  was  heard  crying, 
"  All  tickets  here !  "  he  said  to  Dubois,  Bret,  and  Mont- 
gomery, "  Now  then,  you  fellows,  cut  ofE ;  get  Mortimer  and 
a  few  of  the  chorus-men  to  join  you;  we  are  seven  short." 

As  they  ran  off  he  continued  to  Miss  Leslie,  "  I  hope 
Hayes  won't  bungle  it ;  he's  got  the  tickets  to-day." 

"  You  shouldn't  have  let  him  take  them ;  you  know  he's 
always  more  or  less  drunk,  and  may  answer  forty-two." 

"  1  can't  help  it  if  he  does ;  I  had  something  else  to  look 
after  at  Hanley." 

"  Tickets !  "  said  the  guard. 

"  Our  acting  manager  has  them ;  he's  in  the  end  car- 
riage." 

"  You  know  I  don't  want  anything  said  about  it ;  Hayes 
and  I  are  old  pals;  but  it's  a  damned  nuisance  to  have  an 
acting  manager  who's  always  boozed.  I  have  to  look  after 
everythin',  even  to  making  up  the  returns.  But  I  must 
have  a  look  and  see  how  he's  gettin'  on  with  the  guard," 
said  Dick  jumping  up  and  putting  his  head  out  of  the  win- 
dow. 

After  a  moment  or  two  he  withdrew  it  and  said  hastily, 
"  By  Jove !  there's  a  row  on.  I  must  go  and  see  Avhat's  up. 
I  bet  that  that  confounded  fool  Hayes  has  gone  and  done 
somethin'." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  185 

In  a  minute  he  had  opened  the  carriage-door  and  was 
hurrying  down  the  platform. 

"  Oh,  what  is  the  matter  ?  do  tell  me/'  said  Kate  to  Miss 
Leslie.    "  I  hope  he  won't  get  into  any  trouble." 

"  It's  nothing  at  all.  We  never,  you  know,  take  the  full 
number  of  tickets,  for  it  is  impossible  for  the  guard  to 
count  us  all ;  and  besides,  there  are  some  members  who  al- 
ways run  down  the  platform;  and  in  that  way  we  save  a 
good  deal  of  coin,  which  is  spent  in  drinks  all  round." 

Kate  felt  for  the  moment  like  one  who  had  been  suddenly 
struck  on  the  head ;  and  in  looking  at  Miss  Leslie  she  could 
not  conquer  an  invincible  feeling  of  repulsion  which  crept 
over  her.  Since  she  had  been  in  the  train  all  her  sensi- 
bilities had  been  continually  shocked.  The  careless  matter- 
of-fact  way  with  which  Leslie  had  put  her  arm  round  Bret's 
shoulders  had  forced  Kate  to  recognize  more  vividly  than 
she  would  otherwise  have  done  the  truth  of  her  own  shame, 
and  made  her  on  more  than  one  occasion  withdraw  her 
hand  from  Dick's;  and  the  levity  of  the  conversation,  al- 
though only  half  understood,  had  both  confused  and  fright- 
ened her.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  absolute  presence  of  her 
lover,  she  would  have  often  bitterly  regretted  her  flight 
from  home,  and  now  the  affair  of  the  tickets,  coming  after  a 
day  filled  with  complex  and  exhausting  emotions,  conjured 
up  in  Kate's  imaginative  brain  visions  of  thieves  and  bands 
of  thieves.  She  was  beginning  to  cry  when  Miss  Leslie  said, 
"  You  know,  dear,  there's  no  cheating  in  it.  The  company 
provides  us  with  a  carriage,  and  it  is  all  the  same  to  them  if 
we  travel  five-and-thirty  or  forty-two." 


CHAPTER   XII 

HE  rest  of  the  journey  was  accomplished  monoto- 
nously. When  Hayes'  drunkenness  had  been  com- 
mented on,  and  many  anecdotes  told  concerning 
it,  the  conversation  wandered  into  a  discussion, 
in  the  course  of  which  mention  was  made  of  actors,  singers, 
theatres,  prices  of  admission,  "  make-ups,"  stage  manage- 
ment, and  music.  Montgomery  treated  little  Dubois  with 
scorn  when  he  suggested  that  tliere  never  was  an  opera  like 
Lcs  Cloches.  Leslie  and  Bret  were  of  opinion  that  it  had 
never  been  well  sung  in  London;  and  Dick  explained  how 
he  would  have  made  all  the  girls  walk  in  procession  if  he 
had  had  the  mounting  of  the  piece  in  the  first  instance. 
The  principal  towns  in  England  were  likewise  alluded  to. 
Sheffield  was  remarkable  for  the  fact  that  Beaumont  had 
not  been  able  to  come  on  on  the  first  night  of  the  panto- 
mime, owing  to  the  present  of  a  case  of  "  fizz  "  and  an  un- 
pleasant letter  she  had  received  the  same  evening;  and 
Mortimer,  who  was  playing  a  demon,  had  to  keep  gagging 
away  until  they  got  a  chorus-girl  on  in  her  place.  As  for 
Birmingham,  why  it  was  difficult  not  to  die  with  laughing, 
for  was  it  not  there  that  Ashton,  Leslie's  understudy,  had 
sung  the  tenor's  music  instead  of  her  own  in  the  first  act 
of  the  Cloches;  and  poor  so-and-so,  who  was  playing  the 
Grenicheux,  how  he  did  look  when  he  heard  his  B  flat  go 
off! 

"  Flat,"  murmured  Montgomery  sorrowfully,  "  isn't  the 
word.  I  assure  you  it  loosened  every  tooth  in  my  head.  I 
broke  my  stick  trying  to  stop  her,  but  it  was  no  b —  good." 
Then  explanations  of  how  the  different  pieces  had  been 
produced  in  Paris  were  volunteered,  and  the  talents  of  the 
different  composers  were  passionately  discussed;  and  when 
Dubois,  who  Kate  began  to  perceive  was  the  company's 
laughing-stock,  declared  that  he  thought  Offenbach  too 
polkaic,  all  held  their  sides  and  roared. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  187 

Kate,  who  did  not  understand  the  allusions,  nor  even  the 
drift  of  the  conversation,  could  scarcely  help  looking  be- 
wildered, or  from  time  to  time  timidly  putting  her  hand 
out  to  Dick,  as  if  she  was  afraid  he  was  going  to  escape 
from  her.  She  was  very  glad  when  the  train  rolled  into 
Derby. 

"  How  are  you.  Bill  ?  "  said  Dick,  and  addressing  a  red, 
pimply-faced  man  in  a  round  hat.  "  Do  you  think  we  shall 
do  good  business?  Have  you  got  good  places  for  your 
posters  ?  " 

"  Spiffing,"  answered  the  man,  as  he  saluted  Miss  Leslie. 
"  But  I  couldn't  get  you  the  rooms.  They  are  let ;  and, 
between  ourselves,  you'll  'ave  a  difficulty  in  finding  what 
you  want.  This  is  cattle-show  week,  you  must  remember. 
You'd  better  come  on  at  once  with  me.  I  know  an  hotel 
that  isn't  bad,  and  you  can  have  first  choice — Beaumont's 
old  rooms ;  but  you  must  come  at  once." 

Kate  was  glad  to  see  that  Mr.  Bill  Williams,  the  agent  in 
advance,  did  not  remember  her.  She,  however,  recognized 
him  at  once  as  the  man  who  had  sent  Dick  to  her  house. 

"  Cattle-show  week !  All  the  rooms  in  the  town  let !  " 
cried  Miss  Leslie,  who  had  overheard  part  of  Mr.  Williams's 
whisperings.  "  Oh  dear,  I  do  hope  that  my  rooms  aren't 
let.  I  hate  going  to  an  hotel.  Let  me  out ;  I  must  see  about 
them  at  once.    Here,  Frank,  take  hold  of  this  bag." 

"  There's  no  use  being  in  such  a  hurry ;  if  the  rooms  are 
let  they  are  let.  What's  the  name  of  the  hotel  you  were 
speaking  of,  Williams  ?  " 

''  I  forget  the  name,  but  if  you  don't  find  lodgings,  I'll 
leave  you  the  address  at  the  theatre,"  said  the  agent  in  ad- 
vance, winking  at  Dick. 

"  You're  too  damned  clever,  Williams ;  you'll  be  making 
somebody's  fortune  one  of  these  days." 

Kate  had  some  difficulty  in  keeping  close  to  Dick,  for 
the  moment  he  stepped  out  on  the  platform  he  was  sur- 
rounded. The  baggage-man  had  a  quantity  of  questions 
to  ask  him,  and  Hayes  was  desirous  of  re-explaining  how 
the  ticket-collector  had  happened  to  misunderstand  him. 
Pulling  his  long  whiskers,  the  acting-manager  walked  about 
murmuring,  "  Stupid  fool !  stupid  darned  fool !  "     There 


188  A  Mummer's  Wife 

were,  besides,  some  twenty  young  women  struggling  to  get 
a  word  with  the  popular  fat  man.  With  their  little  hands 
laid  on  his  arms  they  talked  pleadingly. 

"  Yes,  dear ;  that's  it/'  he  answered  kindly ;  "  I'll  see  to 
that  to-morrow.  I'll  try  not  to  put  you  in  Miss  Crawford's 
dressing-room,  since  you  don't  agree." 

"  And,  Mr.  Lennox,  you  will  see  that  I'm  not  shoved  into 
the  back  row  by  Miss  Dacre,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear ;  yes,  dear ;  I'll  see  to  that  too ;  but  I  must  be 
off  now;  and  you'd  better  see  after  lodgings,  I  hear  that 
they  are  very  scarce.  If  you  aren't  able  to  get  any  come  up 
to  the  Hen  and  Chickens,  I  hear  they  have  rooms  to  let 
there,"  said  Dick,  whose  good-nature  forced  him  to  help 
every  lame  dog  over  every  stile. 

"  Poor  little  girls !  "  he  murmured  to  Williams  as  they 
got  into  a  cal),  "they  only  have  twenty-five  bob  a  week ;  one 
can't  see  them  robbed  by  landladies  who  can  let  their  rooms 
three  times  over." 

"  Just  as  you  like/'  said  Williams,  "  but  you'll  have  the 
hotel  full  of  them. 

Kate  longed  at  that  moment  to  lean  her  face  against 
Dick's  and  kiss  him.  Love  and  gratitude  struggled  for 
mastery  in  her  heart,  for  she  now  knew  that  she  could 
trust  him,  that  he  would  not  desert  her  and  leave  her  to  die 
of  want  in  the  street. 

As  they  drove  through  the  town  Dick  called  attention  to 
the  animated  appearance  of  the  crowds,  inferring  thereby 
an  excellent  week.  Williams  explained  the  advantages  of 
the  corners  he  had  chosen,  and  he  pointed  to  his  posters 
with  the  air  of  a  painter  walking  through  a  gallery  with 
visitors. 

At  last  the  cab  stopped  at  the  hotel,  or  rather  before  the 
archway  of  a  stone  passage  some  four  or  five  yards  wide. 

"  There's  no  hotel  here !  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  is,  and  a  very  nice  hotels  too ;  the  en- 
trance is  a  little  way  up  the  passage." 

It  was  an  old-fashioned  place — probably  it  had  been  a 
fashionable  resort  for  sporting  squires  of  the  beginning 
of  the  century.  The  hall  was  wainscoted  in  yellow  painted 
wood ;  on  the  right-hand  side  there  was  a  large  brown  press, 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  189 

with  glass  doors,  surmounted  by  a  pair  of  buffalo  horns; 
on  the  opposite  wall  hung  a  barometer ;  and  the  wide,  slowly 
sloping  staircase,  with  its  low  thick  banisters,  ascended  in 
front  of  the  street  door.  The  apartments  were,  however, 
not  furnished  with  areha3ological  correctness.  A  wallpaper 
of  an  antique  design  contrasted  with  a  modern  tablecloth, 
and  the  sombre  red  curtains  were  ill  suited  to  the  plate- 
glass  which  had  replaced  the  narrow  windows  of  old  time. 
Dick  did  not  like  the  dust  nor  the  tarnish,  but  there  being 
no  other  bed  and  sitting-room  available,  a  bargain  was 
soon  struck,  and  the  proprietor,  after  hoping  that  his  guests 
would  be  comfortable,  informed  them  that  the  rule  of  his 
house  was  that  the  street  door  was  barred  and  locked  at 
eleven  o'clock,  and  would  be  re-opened  for  no  one.  He  was 
a  quiet  man  who  kept  an  orderly  house,  and  if  people  couM 
not  manage  to  be  in  before  midnight  he  did  not  care  for 
their  custom.  Dick,  after  having  grumbled  a  bit,  remem- 
bered that  the  pubs  closed  at  eleven,  and  as  he  did  not 
know  any  one  in  the  town  there  would  be  no  temptation  to 
stay  out.  Williams,  who  had  on  convenient  occasions  been 
attentively  examining  Kate,  said  that  he  was  going  down 
to  the  theatre,  and  asked  if  he  should  have  the  luggage 
sent  up.  This  was  decidedly  an  inconvenient  question,  and 
as  an  explanation  was  impossible  before  the  hotel-keeper, 
Dick  was  obliged  to  wish  Kate  good-by  for  the  present, 
and  accompany  Williams  down  to  the  theatre. 

When  she  found  herself  alone,  she  took  off  her  bonnet 
mechanically,  threw  it  on  the  table,  and  sat  down  in  an 
armchair  by  the  window.  Without  an  effort  her  thoughts 
reverted  to  those  at  home.  Whatever  doubt  there  might 
have  been  at  first,  they  now  knew  that  she  had  left  them — 
and  forever.  The  last  three  words  cost  her  a  sigh,  but 
she  was  forced  to  admit  them.  Uncertainty  there  could 
be  none  now  in  Ralph's  and  his  mother's  mind  but  that 
she  had  gone  off  with  Mr.  Lennox.  Yes,  she  had  eloped; 
there  could  be  no  question  about  the  fact.  She  had  done 
what  she  had  so  often  read  of  in  novels,  but  somehow  it  did 
not  seem  at  all  the  same  thing.  This  was  a  startling  dis- 
covery to  make,  and  Kate  tried  to  think  how  in  her  case 
the  ideal  did  not  correspond  with  the  reality.     Visions  of 


100  A  Mummer's  Wife 

slim  lords,  and  clinging  Lady  Clares,  and  words  of  unalter- 
able affection,  whispered  whilst  postilions  cracked  their 
whips  in  sonorous  mountain-passes,  filled  her  mind;  but 
around  her  she  only  saw  a  damp,  faded  room,  with  stiff 
mahogany  furniture,  and  she  heard  only  the  noisy  voices 
of  chorus-girls  squabbling  in  the  passages.  The  world  is 
forever  out  of  tune  with  our  desires,  and  although  her 
present  surroundings  were  by  many  times  handsomer  than 
those  she  had  left,  the  sum  of  inward  and  outward  contra- 
dictions remained  as  evenly  balanced  as  ever.  The  hazy 
dream  she  had  dreamed  of  love  and  elopement  hai  not 
been  accomplished,  and  the  brutality  of  every  proof  of  this 
wounded  her  sensibilities. 

But  of  the  secret  of  her  disappointment  she  was  nearly 
unconscious;  and  rousing  herself  from  the  torpor  into 
which  she  had  fallen,  she  hoped  Dick  would  not  stop  long 
away.  It  was  so  tiresome  waiting.  Soon,  however.  Miss 
Leslie  came  running  upstairs. 

"  Dinner  has  been  ordered  for  five  o'clock,  and  we  have 
made  up  a  party  of  four — you,  Dick,  myself,  and  Frank." 

"  And  what  time  is  it  now  ?  " 

"  About  four.  Don't  you  think  you'll  be  able  to  hold 
out  till  then?" 

"  Oh,  dear  me,  yes ;  I'm  not  very  hungry." 

"  And  anything  you  want  for  to-night  I'll  lend  you." 

"  Thanks,  it  is  awfully  kind  of  you.  Would  you  like  to 
come  out  for  a  walk — this  room  is  so  dismal." 

"  Certainly." 

Kate  wondered  why  Miss  Leslie  was  so  kind  to  her,  and 
a  little  pang  of  jealousy  entered  her  heart  when  she  thought 
that  it  might  be  for  Dick's  sake.  Annoyed  by  this  idea, 
she  watched  them  during  dinner,  and  was  delighted  to  see 
that  Mr.  Frank  Bret  occupied  the  prima  donna's  entire 
attention.  She  spoke,  it  is  true,  very  familiarly  with  Dick, 
but  for  the  matter  of  that  so  did  every  one  in  the  company. 
Even  the  chorus-girls  ventured  occasionally  to  address  him 
by  his  Christian  name.  Continually  lie  was  plied  with  all 
sorts  and  kinds  of  questions  concerning  matters  theatrical. 
Montgomery  wanted  to  know  how  long  it  would  take_,  dat- 
ing from  the  first  rehearsal,  to  produce  a  three-act  opera. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  191 

Beaumont  could  not  remember  if  a  certain  burlesque 
actress  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  her  "  mug  "  in  '80  or 
'81.  Leslie  and  Bret,  casting  languishing  glances  at  each 
other,  discussed  eagerly  the  production  of  the  voice  in 
singing. 

Soon  after  dinner  the  party  dispersed.  Some  of  the  men 
went  off  to  the  pubs,  some  of  the  ladies  thought  they  would 
go  round  and  see  how  the  other  members  of  the  company 
were  getting  on.  Dick  and  Kate  went  out  to  walk.  As 
they  passed  along  the  streets  they  deplored  that  it  was 
Sunday,  and  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  supply  them- 
selves with  even  a  brush  and  comb  until  the  next  morning. 
They  would  have  to  buy  everything.  Stopping  under 
a  lamp-post  he  gave  her  five-and-twenty  pounds  and  told 
her  to  pal  with  Leslie,  that  she  was  the  best  of  the  lot.  It 
seemed  to  her  quite  a  little  fortune,  and  as  Dick  had  to  go 
to  London  next  morning,  she  sent  up  word  to  Miss  Leslie 
to  ask  if  she  would  come  shopping  with  her.  The  idea  of 
losing  her  lover  so  soon  frightened  her,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  distraction  that  the  buying  of  clothes  afforded  her 
the  week  she  spent  in  Derby  would  have  been  intolerable. 
She  did  not  know  what  she  would  have  done.  Leslie  was, 
it  is  true,  full  of  laughter  and  good-nature.  She  often 
came  to  sit  with  Kate,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  went 
out  to  walk  with  her.  But  there  were  long  hours  which 
she  was  forced  to  pass  alone  in  the  gloom  of  the  hotel  sit- 
ting-room, and  as  she  sat  making  herself  a  strong  travelling 
dress,  oppressed  and  trembling  with  thoughts,  she  was  often 
forced  to  lay  down  her  work.  Nothing,  she  was  forced  to 
admit,  had  turned  out  as  she  had  expected.  Even  her  own 
power  of  loving  appeared  feeble  in  comparison  to  the  wealth 
of  affection  she  had  imagined  herself  lavishing  upon  him. 
Something  seemed  to  separate  them;  even  when  she  lay 
back  and  he  held  her  in  his  arms,  she  was  not  as  near  to 
him  as  she  had  dreamed  of  being.  For  in  an  inexplicable 
and  irritating  way  the  past  was  mixed  up  with  and  domi- 
nated the  present.  Try  as  she  would  she  found  it  impos- 
sible to  wipe  out  of  her  mind  the  house  in  Hanley.  It  rose 
before  her,  a  dark  background  with  touches  of  clear  color, 
vivid  as  a  picture  by  Teniers.    She  saw  the  little  girls  work- 


193  'A  Mummer's  Wife 

ing  by  the  luminous  window  with  the  muslin  curtains 
and  the  hanging  pot  of  greenstuff.  She  saw  the  stiff-backed 
woman  moving  about  with  plates  and  dishes  in  her  hands, 
and  the  invalid  wheezing  on  the  little  red  calico  sofa.  In 
a  word,  the  past  was  a  tangible  reality,  the  present  to  her 
was  still  as  vague  as  a  dream.  She  could  not,  do  what  she 
would,  realize  the  fact  that  she  had  left  forever  her  quiet 
home  in  the  Potteries,  and  was  travelling  about  the  country 
with  a  company  of  strolling  actors.  Since  she  was  a  child 
every  hour  had  pointed  to  an  accustomed  duty ;  her  life  had 
gone  round  with  the  methodical  monotony  of  a  clock.  But 
suddenly  the  instrument  had  been  allowed  to  run  down; now 
the  divisions  of  the  da}^,  which  she  had  always  considered 
immutable  as  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun,  remained 
unmarked.  She  got  up  when  she  pleased ;  even  dined  when 
she  liked.  This  relaxation  of  discipline  prolonged  time 
to  an  almost  infinite  extent,  and  in  her  unoccupied  brain 
every  thought  grew  distorted,  and  during  the  three  horrible 
days  that  her  lover  remained  away  she  experienced  sensa- 
tions of  trembling  and  giddiness.  The  spider  that  had 
spun  itself  from  the  ceiling  did  not  seem  suspended  in  life 
by  a  less  visible  thread  than  herself.  Supposing  Dick  were 
never  to  return.  The  thought  was  appalling,  and  on  more 
than  one  occasion  she  fell  down  on  her  knees  to  pray  to  be 
preserved  from  such  terrible  misfortune. 

But  her  hours  of  solitude  were  not  the  worst  she  had  to 
bear.  Impelled  by  curiosity  to  hear  all  the  details  of  the 
elopement,  and  urged  by  an  ever-present  desire  to  say  un- 
pleasant things.  Miss  Beaumont  paid  Kate  many  visits. 
Sitting  with  her  thick  legs  crossed,  she  insinuated  all  she 
dared.  A  direct  statement  she  did  not  venture  upon,  but  by 
the  aid  of  a  smile  and  an  indirect  allusion  it  was  easy  to 
suggest  that  love  in  an  actor's  heart  is  brief.  As  long  as 
Miss  Beaumont  was  present  Kate  repressed  her  feelings, 
but  when  she  found  herself  alone  tears  flowed  down  her 
cheeks,  and  sobs  echoed  through  the  dusty  sitting-room. 

It  was  in  one  of  the  trances  of  emotion  that  Dick 
found  her  when  he  returned.  But  she  was  easily  consoled, 
and  that  night  she  accompanied  him  to  the  theatre.  The 
piece  played  was  Les  Cloches  de  Corneville,  and,  rocked  to 


A  Mummer's  Wife  193 

rest,  she  listened  for  three  hours  to  the  melody  of  the  music. 
Miss  Beaumont  as  Germaine  disappointed  her,  and  she 
could  not  understand  how  it  was  that  tlie  Marquis  was  not 
in  love  with  Serpolette.  But  the  reality  that  most  grossly 
contradicted  her  idea  was  that  Dick  should  he  playing  the 
part  of  the  Bailie ;  and  when  she  saw  her  hero  fall  down  in 
the  middle  of  the  stage  and  heard  everybody  laugh  at  him, 
she  felt  both  ashamed  and  insulted.  The  romantic  char- 
acter of  her  mind  asserted  itself,  and,  against  her  will, 
forced  her  to  admire  and  invest  with  her  symj)athies  the 
purple-cloaked  Marquis.  Then  her  thoughts  turned  to 
considering  if  she  would  be  able  to  act  as  did  any  one  of 
the  ladies  on  the  stage.  It  did  not  seem  to  her  very  diffi- 
cult. Had  not  Dick  told  her  that,  with  a  little  teaching, 
she  would  be  able  to  sing  as  well  as  Beaumont?  The  sad 
expression  that  her  face  wore  disappeared,  and  she  grew 
impatient  for  the  piece  to  finish  so  that  she  might  speak  to 
Dick  about  taking  lessons.  They  were  now  in  the  third  act, 
and  the  moment  the  curtain  was  rung  down  she  hurried 
away,  asking  as  she  went  the  way  to  the  stage-door.  It 
was  by  no  means  easy  to  find.  She  lost  herself  once  or 
twice  in  the  back  streets,  and  when  she  did  apply  at  the 
right  place,  the  hall-keeper  for  a  long  time  refused  her 
admittance. 

"  Do  you  belong  to  the  company  ?  " 

After  a  moment's  hesitation  Kate  replied  that  she  did 
not;  but  that  moment's  hesitation  was  sufficient  for  the 
porter,  and  he  at  once  said,  "  Pass  on,  you'll  find  Mr.  Len- 
nox on  the  stage." 

Timidly  she  walked  up  a  narrow  passage  filled  with  men 
talking  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  from  thence  made  her 
way  into  the  wings.  There  she  was  told  that  Mr.  Lennox 
was  up  in  his  room,  but  would  be  down  shortl}^. 

For  a  moment  Kate  could  not  realize  where  she  was,  so 
different  was  the  stage  now  to  what  it  had  been  whenever 
she  had  seen  it  before.  The  present  aspect  was  an  entirely 
new  one. 

It  was  now  dark  like  a  cellar,  and,  in  the  flaring  light 
that  spurted  from  an  iron  gas-pipe,  the  stage-carpenter 
carried  rocking  pieces  of  scenery  to  and  fro.  The  audi- 
13 


194  A  Mummer's  Wife 

torium  was  a  round  blank  overclouded  in  a  deep  twilight, 
through  whicli  Kate  saw  the  long  form  of  a  gray  cat  mov- 
ing slowly  round  the  edge  of  the  upper  boxes. 

Getting  into  a  corner  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the 
people  who  were  walking  up  and  down  the  stage,  and  matur- 
ing her  plans  for  the  cultivation  of  her  voice,  she  waited 
patiently  for  her  lover  to  finish  dressing.  This  he  took 
some  time  to  do,  and  when  he  did  at  length  come  down- 
stairs, he  was  of  course  surrounded;  everybody  as  usual 
wanted  to  speak  to  him,  but,  gallantly  offering  her  his  arm, 
and  bending  his  head,  he  asked,  in  a  whisper,  how  she  liked 
the  piece,  and  insisted  on  hearing  what  she  thought  of  this 
and  that  part  before  he  replied  to  any  one  of  the  crowd  of 
friends  who  in  turn  strove  to  attract  his  attention.  This 
was  very  flattering,  but  she  was  nevertheless  obliged  to  re- 
linquish her  plan  of  explaining  to  him  there  and  then  her 
desire  of  learning  singing.  He  could  not  keep  his  mind 
fixed  on  what  she  was  saying.  Mortimer  was  telling  a 
story  at  which  everybody  was  screaming,  and  just  at  her 
elbow  Dubois  and  Montgomery  were  engaged  in  a  violent 
argument  regarding  the  use  of  consecutive  fifths.  But  be- 
sides these  distractions  there  was  a  tall  thin  man  who  kept 
nudging  away  the  whole  while  at  Dick's  elbow,  begging  of 
him  to  come  over  to  his  place,  and  saying  that  he  would 
give  him  as  good  a  glass  of  whiskey  as  he  had  ever  tasted. 
Who  this  stranger  was  nobody  knew.  Dick  said  he  had  for- 
gotten who  the  man  was,  but  that  he  thought  he  had  met 
him  somewhere  up  in  the  North.  But  the  mention  of 
liquor  rendered  Mortimer  and  Hayes  indifferent  to  the  date 
of  the  introduction,  and  they  besought  of  Dick  to  come  and 
make  a  night  of  it. 

"  I  have  been  about,  gentlemen :  I  have  been  in  America 
and  I  have  been  in  France,  and  I  lead  a  bachelor  life.  My 
house  is  across  the  way,  and  if  you'll  do  me  the  honor  to 
come  in  and  have  a  glass  with  me,  all  I  can  say  is  that  I 
shall  be  very  glad.  If  there  is  one  thing  I  do  enjoy,  it  is 
the  conversation  of  intellectual  men,  and  after  the  per- 
formance of  to-night  I  don't  see  how  I  can  do  better  than 
to  come  to  you  for  it." 

This  speech  produced  a  visible  effect  among  the  group. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  195 

Mortimer,  who  could  not  think  of  anything  suitable  to 
say,  pretended  not  to  have  heard.  Dubois  settled  himseli 
straight,  and  seemed  in  doubt  whether,  to  prove  his  intelli- 
gence, he  had  not  better  produce  his  lowest  note;  Beau- 
mont eyed  the  stranger  sharply,  and  mentally  calculated  if 
he  were  worth  a  substantial  part  of  her  hotel  bill. 

"  But,"  he  continued  gallantly,  "  if  I  said  just  now  that 
I  was  a  bachelor,  it  is,  I  assure  you,  not  because  I  dislike 
the  sex.  My  solitary  state  is  my  misfortune,  not  my  fault, 
and  if  these  ladies  will  accompany  you,  gentlemen,  need 
I  say  that  I  shall  be  charmed  ?  " 

A  murmur  of  satisfaction  greeted  these  words.  The  in- 
vitation was  accepted  forthwith,  and  the  whole  party  fol- 
lowed the  tall  thin  man  to  his  house.  It  was  a  small  affair, 
with  a  porch  and  green  blinds,  such  as  might  be  rented  by 
a  well-to-do  commercial  traveller.  The  furniture  was 
mahogany  and  leather,  and  when  the  sideboard  was  opened, 
the  acrid  odor  of  tea,  and  the  sickly  smells  of  stale  bread 
and  rank  butter  were  diffused  through  the  room;  but  these 
were  quickly  dominated  by  the  fumes  of  the  malt.  A  bottle 
of  port  was  decanted  for  the  ladies.  Certainly  the  host  did 
his  best  for  his  company.  He  helped  the  dirty  maid  to 
fetch  the  glasses,  and  he  insisted  on  a  piece  of  cold  beef 
being  brought  up  from  the  kitchen.  Then  everyone  made 
themselves  comfortable.  Hayes  drank  his  whiskey  in  silence. 
Mortimer,  as  far  as  he  could,  monopolized  the  conversation, 
and  bored  everybody  by  talking  of  the  regeneration  of  the 
stage.  Montgomery,  with  his  legs  over  the  arm  of  an  easy- 
chair,  tried  to  get  in  a  word  concerning  the  refrain  of  a 
comic  song  he  had  just  finished  scoring. 

During  this  part  of  the  evening  the  ladies  looked  tired, 
but  they  showed  signs  of  coming  interest  when  a  reference 
was  made  to  the  morality  of  the  leading  English  actresses. 
The  tall  thin  man  listened  with  an  expression  of  anxious 
interest  on  his  face.  He  seemed  to  think  that  it  was  of  the 
most  vital  importance  that  he  should  not  lose  the  thread 
of  Dubois'  argument.  The  little  man,  with  his  bishop's  hat 
tilted  over  the  back  of  his  head,  propounded  the  most 
strange  opinions,  until  at  last,  as  if  to  clinch  all  he  had 
said  previously,  he  stated  emphatically  that  he  did  not  be- 


196  A   Mummer's  Wife 

lieve  in  the  virtue  of  any  woman  in  the  world.  This 
brought  them  all  to  their  feet.  Dubois  was  declared  to  have 
insulted  the  profession.  Dick  agreed  it  was  damned  bad 
form,  and  ]\Iontgomery,  who  had  a  sister-in-law  starring 
in  Scotland,  turned  purple,  and  refused  to  be  appeased 
until  he  was  asked  to  accompany  Bret  and  Leslie  in  a  duet. 
The  thin  man  (as  everybody  now  called  him)  said  he  had 
never  been  so  much  touched  in  his  life,  a  statement  which 
Beaumont  did  her  best  to  justify  by  going  to  the  piano  and 
singing  three  songs  one  after  another.  The  third  was 
the  signal  for  departure.  Montgomery  declared  that  it  was 
quite  enough  to  have  to  listen  to  Beaumont  during  business 
hours,  and  soon  after  it  was  discovered  that  Hayes  had 
fallen  asleep.  So,  bidding  the  kindest  of  farewells  to  their 
host,  whom  they  hoped  they  would  see  the  following  evening 
at  the  theatre,  and  upholding  drunken  Mr.  Hayes  between 
the  lot  of  them,  they  stumbled  into  the  street. 

It  was  very  liard  to  get  him  along.  Every  ten  or  a  dozen 
yards  he  would  insist  on  stopping  in  the  middle  of  the  road- 
way to  argue  the  value  and  the  sincerity  of  the  friendship 
his  comrades  bore  for  him.  Mortimer  declared  that  he 
would  stand  in  a  puddle  all  night  if  by  so  doing  he  might 
hope  to  prove  to  him  the  depth  of  his  trusting  heart.  Du- 
bois said  that  to  sit  with  him  in  the  cold  September  moon- 
light, and  talk  of  the  dear  days  of  the  past,  would  be  bliss. 
Striving  to  understand,  Hayes  pulled  his  long  wdiiskers, 
and  stared  at  them  blankly.  But  the  monotony  of  this  sort 
of  joking  soon  began  to  be  felt,  and  the  ladies  proposed 
they  should  wallv  on  in  front,  and  leave  the  gentlemen  to 
get  their  friend  home  as  best  they  could.  It  was  then  that 
Dick  remembered  that  the  hotel-keeper  had  told  him  that 
he  shut  his  doors  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  would  open  them 
again  for  nobody  before  morning. 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  "  asked  Leslie.    "  It  is  very  cold." 

"  We'll  ring  him  up,"  answered  Dubois. 

"  But  if  he  doesn't  answer,"  suggested  Bret. 

"  I'll  jolly  soon  make  him  answer,"  said  Dick.  "  'Now 
then.  Hayes,  wake  up,  old  man,  and  push  along." 

"  Pou — sh — al — ong !     How  can — you — talk  to  me  like 


A  Mummer's  Wife  197 

that?  Yer — yer — shunting  me — me — for  one  of  those 
other  fellows." 

"  We'll  talk  about  that  in  the  morning,  old  man.  Now, 
Mortimer,  you  get  hold  of  his  other  arm,  and  let's  run  him 
along." 

Mr.  Hayes  struggled,  declaring  the  while  he  would  no 
longer  believe  in  the  world's  friendship ;  but  everybody 
being  now  in  earnest,  and  Montgomery  pushing  from  be- 
hind, the  last  hundred  yards  were  soon  got  over,  and  the 
drunken  burden  deposited  safely  against  the  wall  of  the 
passage. 

The  sky  was  quite  clear  overhead,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  lateral  lines  of  the  houses  the  moon  jutted  from  behind 
a  row  of  chimney-pots.  A  stream  of  light  floated  over  the 
flagstones,  but  the  buttress  under  which  Hayes  was  lying 
threw  a  long  shadow.  Going  to  the  bell,  Dick  gave  it  a 
pull,  and  the  whole  party  listened  to  the  distant  tinkling. 
Then,  after  a  minute  or  two  of  suspense,  Mortimer  said : 

"  That  won't  do,  Dick ;  ring  again.  We  shall  be  here  all 
night." 

Clatter,  clatter,  clatter,  went  the  bell,  and  a  husky  voice, 
issuing  from  the  dark  shadow  of  the  buttress,  said : 

"  I  rang  for  another  whiskey,  waiter,  that's  all." 

The  effect  was  most  comical  and  unexpected,  and  the 
whole  party  roared  with  laughter.  Nothing  was  seen  of  the 
drunkard  but  his  feet,  with  a  l)it  of  white  stocking  gleam- 
ing fiercely  in  the  moonlight. 

Then  the  bell  was  rung  again  and  again,  and  whilst  one 
was  pulling  at  the  wire,  another  was  hammering  away  with 
the  knocker.  The  noise  was  deafening,  but  no  answer  could 
be  obtained,  and  the  actors  consulted  in  silence.  Some  sug- 
gested one  thing,  some  another.  Leslie  and  Bret  proposed 
that  they  should  seek  admittance  at  another  hotel ;  Dubois, 
that  they  should  beg  hospitality  of  the  other  members  of 
the  company ;  Montgomery,  that  they  should  go  back  to  the 
theatre.  Eventually,  Dick's  and  Mortimer's  plan  was  de- 
clared to  be  the  best ;  it  was  to  beat  in  the  door.  The  hotel- 
keeper  had  no  right  to  lock  them  out,  and  they  had  a  per- 
fect right  to  break  into  his  house.  The  law  on  the  sul)ject 
interested  them  profoundly,  and  as  they  searched  for  a  piece 


198  A  Mummer's  Wife 

of  wood  to  serve  as  a  ram,  the  chances  they  ran  of  "  doing 
a  week "  were  anxiously  debated.  However,  no  piece  of 
wood  of  sufficient  size  could  be  found,  much  to  the  relief 
of  the  ladies  and  Dubois,  who  strongly  advised  Dick  to  re- 
nounce this  door-smashing  experiment. 

"  Oh,  Dick !  pray  don't,"  whispered  Kate.  "  What  does 
it  matter?  it  will  be  daylight  in  a  few  hours." 

"  That's  all  very  well,  but  I  tell  you  he  has  no  right  to  lock 
us  out;  he's  a  licensed  hotel-keeper.  Are  you  game  Morti- 
mer ?    We  can  burst  the  door  in  with  our  shoulders." 

"  Game ! "  said  Mortimer,  in  a  nasal  note  that  echoed 
down  the  courtyard,  "  partridges  are  in  season  in  Septem- 
ber. Here  goes,"  and  taking  a  run  he  jumped  with  his 
full  weight  against  the  door. 

"  Out  of  the  way,"  cried  Dick,  breaking  away  from  Kate, 
and  hurling  his  huge  frame  a  little  closer  to  the  lock  than 
the  comedian  had  done. 

The  excitement  being  now  at  boiling  pitch,  the  work  was 
begun  in  real  earnest,  and  as  they  darted  in  regular  succes- 
sion out  of  the  shadow  of  the  buttress  across  the  clear 
stream  of  moonlight  flowing  down  the  flagstones,  they  ap- 
peared like  a  procession  of  figures  thrown  on  a  cloth  by  a 
magic-lantern.  Mr.  Hayes'  white  stocking  served  for  a 
line,  and  bump,  bump,  they  went  against  the  door.  Each 
effort  was  watched  with  different  degrees  of  interest  by  the 
ladies.  When  little  Dubois  toddled  forward,  and  sprang 
with  what  little  impetus  his  short  legs  could  give  him,  it 
was  difficult  not  to  laugh,  and  when  Montgomery's  reed-like 
shanks  were  seen  passing,  Kate  clung  to  Miss  Leslie  in  fear 
that  he  would  crush  his  frail  body  against  the  door,  but 
when  it  came  to  the  turn  of  any  of  the  big  ones,  the  ex- 
citement grew  intense.  Mortimer  and  Bret  were  watched 
eagerly,  but  most  faith  was  placed  in  Dick,  not  only  for  his 
greater  weight,  but  for  his  superior  and  more  plucky  way  of 
jumping.  Springing  from  the  very  middle  of  the  passage 
he  went,  his  head  back  and  his  shoulder  forward,  like  a 
thunderbolt  against  the  door.  It  seemed  wonderful  that  he 
did  not  bring  down  the  wall  as  well  as  the  woodwork.  The 
spirit  of  competition  was  very  great,  and  a  round  of  ap- 
plause rewarded  each  effort.    Mr.  Hayes,  who  fancied  him- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  199 

self  in  bed,  and  that  the  waiter  was  calling  him  at  some 
unearthly  hour  in  the  morning,  shouted  occasionally  tlio 
most  fearful  of  curses  from  his  dark  corner.  The  noise 
was  terrific,  and  the  clapping  of  hands,  shrieks  of  laughter, 
and  cries  of  encouragement,  reverberated  through  the  echo- 
ing passage  and  the  silent  moonlight. 

At  last  Dick's  turn  came  again,  and  enraged  by  past  fail- 
ures he,  putting  forth  his  whole  strength,  jumped  from  the 
white  stocking  with  his  full  weight  against  the  door.  It 
gave  way  with  a  crash,  and  he  was  precipitated  into  the 
hall. 

At  that  moment  the  proprietor  appeared  coming  down 
stairs.  He  held  a  candle  in  his  hand,  and  he  looked  over 
the  banisters  to  see  what  had  happened.  But  everybody  made 
a  rush,  and  picking  up  Dick,  who  was  not  in  the  least  hurt, 
they  struck  matches  on  the  wall  and  groped  their  way  up 
to  their  rooms,  heedless  of  the  denunciations  of  the  enraged 
proprietor.  He  declared  that  he  was  going  to  the  police- 
station — that  he  would  take  an  action  against  them. 

The  poor  man  was  in  his  dressing-gown,  and  by  the  light 
of  his  flickering  candle  he  surv^eyed  his  dismantled  thresh- 
old. It  was  clear  that  he  would  have  to  fasten  the  place 
up  somehow,  and  he  looked  about  for  the  means  of  doing 
so,  until  he  at  last  caught  sight  of  Mr.  Hayes'  white  stock- 
ing. As  he  did  so  a  wicked  light  gleamed  in  his  eye,  and 
after  a  few  efforts  to  awake  the  drunkard  he  walked  to  the 
gateway  and  looked  up  and  down  the  street  to  see  if  a 
policeman  were  in  sight.  In  real  truth  he  was  doubtful  as 
to  his  rights  to  lock  visitors  out  of  their  hotel,  and  did  not 
feel  disposed  to  discuss  the  question  before  a  magistrate. 
But  what  could  be  said  against  him  for  requesting  the  re- 
moval of  a  drunken  man !  He  did  not  know  who  he  was, 
nor  was  he  bound  to  find  out.  So  argued  the  proprietor 
of  the  Hen  and  Chickens,  and  Mr.  Hayes,  still  protesting 
he  did  not  want  to  be  called  before  ten,  was  dragged  off  to 
the  station. 

Next  morning  the  hotel-keeper  denied  knowing  anything 
whatever  about  the  matter.  He  had  called,  it  is  true,  the 
policeman's  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  was  a  man 
asleep  under  the  archway,  but  he  did  not  know  that  the 


200  A  Mummer's  Wife 

man  was  Mr.  Hayes.  This  statement  was  of  course  not  be- 
lieved, and  vowing  that  they  woukl  never  again  go  within 
a  mile  of  his  shop,  the  whole  company  went  to  see  poor 
Hayes  jouUed  out  before  the  beak.  It  was  a  forty-shilling 
affair  or  the  option  of  a  week,  and  in  compensation  Dick 
invited  last  night's  party  to  dinner  at  a  restaurant.  They 
weren't  going  to  put  their  money  into  the  pocket  of  that 
cad  of  a  hotel-keeper.  Hayes  was  the  hero  of  the  hour, 
and  he  made  everybody  roar  with  laughter  at  the  way  in 
which  he  related  his  experiences.  But  after  a  time  Dick, 
who  had  always  an  eye  to  business,  drew  his  chair  up  to 
Mortimer's,  and  begged  of  him  to  try  and  think  of  some 
allusions  to  the  adventures  which  could  be  worked  into  the 
piece.  The  question  was  a  serious  one,  and  until  it  was 
time  to  go  to  the  theatre  the  art  of  gagging  was  warmly 
argued.  Dubois  held  the  most  liberal  views.  He  said  that 
after  a  certain  number  of  nights  the  author's  words  should 
be  totally  disregarded  in  favor  of  topical  remarks.  Bret, 
who  was  slow  of  wit,  maintained  that  the  dignity  of  a  piece 
could  only  be  maintained  by  sticking  to  the  text,  and  cited 
examples  to  support  his  opinion.  It  was,  however,  finally 
agreed  that  ]\Iortimer  should  say,  whenever  he  came  on 
the  stage,  "  Derby  isn't  a  safe  place  to  get  drunk  in,"  and 
that  Dubois  should  reply,  "  Eather  not." 

Owing  to  these  little  emendations,  the  piece  went  with 
a  scream,  the  receipts  were  over  a  hundred,  and  Morton  and 
Cox's  Operatic  Company,  having  done  a  very  satisfactory 
week's  business,  assembled  at  the  station  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing bound  for  Blackpool. 

Kate  and  Dick  got  into  a  compartment  with  the  same 
people  as  before,  plus  a  chorus-girl,  who,  in  the  hopes  of 
l)eing  allowed  to  say  on  the  entrance  of  the  duke,  "  Oh, 
what  a  jolly  fellow  he  is !  "  was  making  up  to  Montgomery. 
Mortimer  shouted  unintelligible  jokes  to  Hayes,  who  always 
went  with  the  pipe-smokers;  Dick  spoke  about  the  pos- 
sibility of  producing  some  new  piece  at  Liverpool,  and 
the  planks  of  the  carriage  trembled  with  criticism  and 
suggestions.  Everyl:»ody  seemed  to  be  in  liigh  spirits  but 
Kate.  The  events  of  the  last  few  days  had  completely  be- 
wildered her,  and  with  dizzy  and  confused  thoughts  she  was 


A  Mummer's  Wife  201 

carried  forward  helpless  and  inert  like  a  leaf  in  a  storm. 
She  could  not  realize  the  actuality  of  the  life  around  her ; 
the  people  she  saw  might  be  phantoms,  so  impossible  did 
she  find  it  to  force  upon  herself  a  consciousness  of  their 
existence.  Things  flew  past  her  so  rapidly  that  they  did 
not  produce  upon  her  any  of  the  sensations  of  living  with 
which  she  was  acquainted.  The  effect  was  painful,  and  it 
was  heavy  and  obtuse,  even  as  a  nightmare.  She  was  weary 
of  the  shouting  and  bawling  of  the  actors,  of  their  con- 
versations which  she  did  not  understand,  and  of  the  whirl- 
ing centre  of  eternal  hurry  in  which  they  lived.  It  made 
her  sick  to  watch  them.  Dubois,  ]\Iortinier,  Bret,  and  the 
chorus-girl  were  playing  Nap.  Dick,  Leslie,  and  Mont- 
gomery were  singing  tunes  or  fragments  of  tunes  to  each 
other,  and  talking  about  "  effects." 

Then  suddenly  the  conversation  changed,  and  loud  grew 
the  lamentations  that  no  money  could  be  saved  this  trip  in 
the  taking  of  the  tickets.  Hayes'  stupidity  was  roundly 
abused,  and  Dick  was  closely  questioned  as  to  when,  in  his 
opinion,  it  would  be  safe  to  try  on  again  their  little  plant. 
Instead  of  answering  he  leaned  back,  and  gradually  a  pleas- 
ant smile  began  to  trickle  over  his  broad  face.  He  was 
evidently  maturing  some  plan.  "  What  is  it,  Dick  ?  Do 
say  like  a  good  fellow,"  was  repeated  many  times,  but  he 
refused  to  give  any  reply  further  than  that  he  was  going 
to  see  what  could  be  done.  This  aroused  the  curiosity  of 
the  company,  and  it  grew  to  burning  pitch  when  the  train 
drew  up  at  a  station  and  Dick  began  a  conversation  with 
the  guard  concerning  the  length  of  time  they  would  have 
at  Preston,  and  where  they  would  find  the  train  that  was 
to  take  them  on  to  Blackpool. 

"  You'll  have  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  wait  at  Preston. 
You'll  arrive  there  at  4.20,  at  35  past  you'll  find  the  train 
for  Blackpool  drawn  up  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  sta- 
tion." 

"  Thanks  very  much,"  replied  Dick  as  he  tipped  the 
guard,  and  then  turning  his  head  towards  his  friends,  he 
whispered,  "  'Tis  as  right  as  a  trivet ;  I  shall  be  back  in  a 
minute." 

"  Where's  he  off  to  ?  "  asked  everybody. 


202  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  He's  just  gone  into  the  telegraph  office,"  said  Mont- 
gomery who  was  stationed  at  the  window. 

A  moment  after  Dick  was  seen  running  up  the  platform. 
His  fat  shoulders  waggled,  and  his  big  hat  gave  him  the 
appearance  of  an  American.  As  he  passed  each  compart- 
ment of  their  carriage  he  whispered  something  in  at  the 
window. 

"  What  can  he  be  saying  ?  What  can  he  be  arranging  ?  " 
asked  Miss  Leslie. 

"  I  don't  care  how  he  arranges  it  as  long  as  I  get  a  drink 
on  the  cheap  at  Preston,"  said  Mortimer. 

"  That's  the  main  point,"  replied  Dubois. 

"  Well,  Dick,  what  is  it  ?  "  exclaimed  everybody,  as  the 
big  man  sat  down  beside  Kate. 

"  The  moment  the  train  arrives  at  Preston  we  must  all 
make  a  rush  for  the  refreshment-rooms  and  ask  for  Mr. 
Simpson's  lunch. 

"Who's  Mr.  Simpson?  What  lunch?  Oh,  do  tell  us! 
What  a  mysterious  fellow  you  are,"  were  the  exclama- 
tions reiterated  all  the  way  along  the  route.  But  the  only 
answer  they  received  was,  "  Now  what  does  it  matter  who 
Mr.  Simpson  is?  I  tell  you  he's  going  to  stand  us  treat 
at  Preston ;  isn't  that  enough  for  you  ?  "  Even  Kate  could 
get  nothing  more  from  her  lover.  He  talked  to  her  about 
Blackpool,  of  what  a  nice  place  it  was,  and  of  how  she 
would  enjoy  the  sea.  To  have  him  so  devoted  to  her  was 
delightful,  and  she  wished  they  would  leave  off  bothering 
him  about  Mr.  Simpson,  and  was  glad  when  they  arrived 
at  Preston,  if  only  that  the  incessant  questioning  might 
cease. 

"  Come  on,  now,"  said  Dick,  "  eat  and  drink  all  you  can, 
and  for  the  life  of  you  don't  ask  who  Mr.  Simpson  is,  but 
only  for  his  lunch." 

This  order  was  at  once  acted  on,  and  actors,  actresses, 
chorus-girls  and  men,  conductor,  prompter,  manager,  and 
baggage-man  rushed  like  a  school  towards  the  glass  doors 
of  the  refreshment-room.  There  they  found  a  handsome 
collation  laid  out  for  forty  people. 

"  Wiiere's  Mr.  Simpson's  lunch  ?  "  shouted  Dick. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  203 

"  Here,  sir,  here ;  all  is  ready,"  replied  two  obliging 
waiters. 

"  Where's  Mr.  Simpson's  lunch  ?  "  echoed  Dubois  and 
Montgomery. 

"This  way,  sir;  what  will  you  take,  sir?  Cold  beef, 
chicken  and  ham,  or  a  little  soup  ? "  asked  half-a-dozen 
waiters. 

The  ladies  were  at  first  shy  of  helping  themselves  and 
hung  back  a  little,  but  Dick  drove  them  on,  and,  the  first 
step  taken,  they  ate  ravenously  of  everything.  But  Kate, 
refusing  all  offers  of  chicken,  ham,  and  cold  beef,  clung  to 
Dick  timidly. 

"  But  is  this  paid  for  ?  "  she  whispered  to  him. 

"  Of  course  it  is.  'Tis  Mr.  Simpson's  lunch.  Take  care 
of  what  you  are  sayin'.  Tuck  into  this  plate  of  chicken; 
will  you  have  a  bit  of  tongue  with  it  ?  " 

Not  having  the  courage  to  refuse,  Kate  complied  in 
silence,  and  Dick  crammed  her  pockets  with  cakes.  But 
soon  the  waiters  began  to  wonder  at  the  absence  of  Mr. 
Simpson,  and  had  already  commenced  their  inquiries. 

Approaching  Mortimer,  the  head  waiter  asked  that 
gentleman  if  Mr.  Simpson  was  in  the  room. 

"  He's  just  slipped  round  to  the  bookstall  to  get  a  Sun- 
day paper.  He'll  be  back  in  a  minute,  and  if  you'll  get  me 
another  bit  of  chicken  in  the  meantime  I  shall  feel  obliged." 

In  five  minutes  more  the  table  was  cleared,  and  every- 
body made  a  movement  to  retire,  and  it  was  then  that 
the  refreshment-room  people  exhibited  a  frantic  interest 
in  the  person  of  Mr.  Simpson.  One  waiter  begged  of 
Dick  to  describe  the  gentleman  to  him,  another  besought 
of  Dubois  to  say  at  what  end  of  the  table  Mr.  Simpson 
had  had  his  lunch.  In  turn  they  appealed  to  the  ladies 
and  to  the  gentlemen,  but  were  always  met  with  the  same 
answers.  "  Just  saw  him  a  minute  ago,  going  up  the  sta- 
tion; if  you  run  after  him  you're  sure  to  catch  him." 
"  Mr.  Simpson  ?  why  he  was  here  a  minute  ago ;  I  think 
he  was  speaking  about  sending  a  telegram ;  perhaps  he's 
up  in  the  office,"  &c.,  &c.  The  bell  then  rang,  and,  like  a 
herd  in  motion,  the  whole  company  crowded  to  the  train. 
The  guard   shouted,   the  panic-stricken   waiters  tumbled 


304  A  Mummer's  JVife 

over  the  luggage,  and  running  from  carriage  to  carriage, 
begged  to  be  informed  as  to  Mr.  Simpson's  whereabouts. 

"  He's  in  the  end  carriage,  I  tell  you,  back  there,  just  at 
the  other  end  of  the  train." 

The  seedy  black  coats  were  then  seen  hurrying  down  the 
flags,  but  only  to  return  in  a  minute,  breathless,  for  further 
information.  But  this  could  not  last  forever,  and  the 
guard  blew  his  whistle,  the  actors  began  gagging.  And, 
oh!  the  singing,  the  whistling,  the  cheers  of  the  mummers 
as  the  train  rolled  away  into  the  country,  now  all  agleam 
with  the  sunset!  Tattoos  were  beaten  with  sticks  against 
the  woodwork  of  each  compartment.  Dick,  with  his  body 
half  out  of  the  window,  and  his  curls  blowing  in  the  wind, 
yelled  at  Hayes.  Montgomery  disputed  with  Dubois  for 
possession  of  the  other  window,  and  three  chorus-girls 
giggled  and  munched  stolen  cakes,  and  tried  to  get  into 
conversation  with  Kate.  But  a  shame  darker  than  any  she 
had  yet  known  lay  heavily  upon  her.  Love  had  compen- 
sated her  for  virtue;  but  what  could  make  amends  to 
her  for  her  loss  of  honesty  ?  She  could  break  a  moral  law 
with  less  suffering  than  might  be  expected  from  her  bring- 
ing up,  but  the  sentiment  the  most  characteristic,  and 
naturally  so,  of  the  middle  classes,  is  a  respect  for  the  prop- 
erty of  others;  and  she  had  eaten  of  stolen  bread.  Op- 
pressed and  sickened  by  this  idea,  she  shrank  back  in  her 
corner,  and  filled  with  a  sordid  loathing  of  herself,  she 
longed,  as  she  might  to  trample  on  a  disgustful  thing,  to 
tear  this  vile  page  from  her  memory.  When  Dick  sat  down 
by  her  she  moved  instinctively  away  from  him,  for  even  he 
for  the  moment,  like  all  else  she  could  feel  and  see,  was 
horrifying  and  revolting. 

At  Blackpool,  Mr.  Williams's  pimply  face  was  the  first 
thing  that  greeted  them.  There  was  the  usual  crowd  of 
landladies  who  presented  their  cards  and  extolled  the  com- 
fort and  cleanliness  of  their  rooms.  One  of  these  women 
was  introduced,  and  especially  recommended  by  Mr.  Wil- 
liams. He  declared  that  her  place  was  a  little  paradise, 
and  an  hour  later,  still  plunged  in  black  regret,  Kate  sat 
sipping  her  tea  in  a  rose-colored  room. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

I  HAT  night  in  bed  Kate  cried  hysterically,  and 
Dick  did  not  succeed  in  comforting  her  until  ho 
promised  to  send  a  check  and  settle  with  the 
refreshment-room  people  at  once.  This  made 
her  feel  happier,  and  in  a  few  days,  with  the  facility  of  a 
person  of  weak  nature,  she  began  to  fall  into  the  ways,  and 
apparently  to  habituate  herself  to  the  manners  and  morals, 
of  her  new  life.  And  for  the  time  being  she  was  consciojis 
of  no  special  pangs  of  conscience,  of  nothing  beyond  the 
mechanical  conviction  that  she  was  a  very  wicked  woman, 
and  deserved  to  be  punished.  When  Sunday  came  round 
(they  were  staying  for  a  fortnight  at  Blackpool)  she  went 
to  church,  but  the  words  of  God  inspired  her  with  only  a 
sense  of  voluptuous  sorrow,  which  was  intensified  by  the 
knowledge  that  for  her  no  repentance  was  possible.  The 
very  idea  terrified  her,  and  as  if  to  hide  herself  from  it  she 
wrapped  herself  more  determinedly  than  ever  in  the  sullen 
and  sensual  enjoyment  of  the  time. 

The  morning  hours  were  especially  delightful.  Im- 
mediately on  getting  out  of  bed  she  went  into  the  sitting- 
room  to  see  after  Dick's  breakfast.  It  was  laid  out  on  a 
round  table,  the  one  white  tint  in  the  rose  twilight  of  the 
half-drawn  blinds.  Masses  of  Virginia  creeper,  now  weary 
of  the  summer  and  ready  to  fall  with  the  first  October 
winds,  grew  into  the  room,  and  the  two  armchairs  drawn  up 
by  the  quietly  burning  fire  seemed,  like  all  the  rest,  to 
inspire  indolence.  Kate  lingered  settling  and  dusting  little 
rickety  ornaments,  tempted  at  once  by  the  freshness  of  her 
dressing-gown  and  the  soothing  warmth  of  the  room.  It 
penetrated  her  with  sensations  of  happiness  too  acute  to 
be  durable,  and  as  they  mounted  to  her  head  in  a  sort  of 
effervescent  reverie,  she  would  walk  forwards  to  the  fold- 
ing doors  to  talk  to  Dick  of — it  did  not  matter  what — it 
was  for  the  mere  sound  of  his  voice  that  she  came;  and,  in 


306  'A  Mummer's  Wife 

default  of  anything  better  to  say,  she  would  upbraid  him 
for  his  laziness.  The  room,  full  of  the  intimacy  of  their 
life,  enchanted  her,  and  half  in  shame,  half  in  delight,  she 
would  affect  to  arrange  the  pillows  while  he  buttoned  his 
collar.  When  this  was  accomplished  she  led  him  tri- 
umphantly to  the  breakfast  table,  and  with  one  arm  rest- 
ing on  his  knees,  watched  the  white  shapes  of  the  eggs  seen 
through  the  bubbling  water.  This  was  the  great  business 
of  the  morning.  He  M'ould  pay  twopence  a  piece  to  have 
fresh  eggs,  and  was  most  particular  that  they  should  be 
boiled  for  three  minutes  and  not  one  second  more.  The 
landlady  brought  up  the  beefsteak  and  the  hot  milk  for 
the  coffee,  and  if  any  friend  came  in  orders  were  sent 
down  instantly  for  more  food.  Such  extravagance  could 
not  fail  to  astonish  Kate,  accustomed  as  she  had  been  from 
her  earliest  years  to  a  strict  and  austere  mode  of  life.  Fre- 
quently she  begged  of  Dick  to  be  more  economical,  but  he, 
who  had  always  lived  Bohemian-like  on  money  easily 
gained,  paid  very  little  attention  to  what  she  said  beyond 
advising  her  to  eat  more  steak  and  put  color  into  her  cheeks. 
And  once  the  ice  of  habit  broken  through,  she  likewise 
began  to  abandon  herself  thoroughly  to  the  pleasures  of 
these  rich  warm  breakfasts,  and  to  look  forward  to  the  idle 
hours  of  digestion  which  followed,  and  the  heavy  happy 
dreams  that  could  then  be  indulged  in.  Before  the  tea- 
things  were  removed  Dick  opened  the  morning  paper,  and 
from  time  to  time  read  aloud  scraps  of  whatever  news  he 
thought  interesting.  These  generally  concerned  the  latest 
pieces  produced  in  London ;  and,  as  if  ignorant  of  the  fact 
that  she  knew  nothing  of  what  he  was  speaking  of,  ex- 
plained to  her  his  views  on  the  subject — why  such  and  such 
plays  would  and  others  would  not  do  for  the  country. 
Kate,  although  she  only  understood  half  of  what  was  told 
her,  listened  with  riveted  attention;  and  the  flattery  of 
being  taken  into  his  confidence  was  a  soft  and  fluttering 
joy.  In  these  moments  all  fear  that  he  would  one  day 
desert  her  died  away  like  an  ugly  wind ;  and,  with  the  noise 
of  the  town  drumming  dimly  in  the  distance,  they  aban- 
doned themselves  to  the  pleasure  of  thinking  of  each  other. 
Dick  congratulated  himself  on  the  choice  he  had  made,  and 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  307 

assured  himself  that  he  would  never  know  again  the  ennui 
of  living  alone.  She  was  one  of  the  prettiest  women  you 
could  see  anywhere,  and  luckily  not  too  exacting.  In  fact 
she  hadn't  a  fault  if  it  weren't  that  she  was  a  bit  cold,  and 
he  couldn't  understand  how  it  was;  women  were  not  gen- 
erally cold  with  him.  The  question  interested  him  pro- 
foundly, and  as  he  considered  it  his  glance  wandered  from 
the  loose  blue  masses  of  hair  to  the  white  satin  shoe  which 
she  held  to  the  red  blaze. 

Then  the  vague  expression  of  Kate's  face  disappeared, 
and  she  frowned  slightly.  It  annoyed  her  to  perceive  that 
he  thought  of  her  so.  She  dreamed  of  love  as  independent 
of  the  realities  of  life.  She  desired  an  affection  that  would 
be  ever  present,  that  would  exclude  all  other  things — that 
would  be  an  atmosphere,  as  it  were,  to  the  heart  that  would 
soften  and  harmonize  it,  even  as  a  mist  does  a  landscape. 

These  meditations  generally  ended  by  Kate  going  to  sit 
on  Dick's  knees.  Laying  her  head  upon  his  shoulder  she 
usually  murmured : 

"  Dick,  do  you  think  you  will  always  love  me  as  you  do 
now  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  of  it,  dear." 

"  It  seems  to  me  if  one  really  loves  once  one  must  love 
always.  But  I  don't  know  how  I  can  talk  to  you  like  that, 
for  how  can  you  respect  me  ?  I  have  been  so  very  wicked." 

"  What  nonsense,  Kate,  how  can  you  talk  like  that  ?  I 
wouldn't  respect  you  if  you  went  on  living  with  a  man 
you  didn't  care  about." 

"  Well,  I  liked  him  well  enough  till  you  came,  dear,  but 
I  couldn't  then — it  wasn't  all  my  fault ;  but  if  you  should 
cease  to  care  for  me  I  think  I  should  die.  But  you  won't ; 
tell  me  that  you  won't,  dear  Dick  ?  " 

On  the  words  "  dear  Dick,"  Kate  would  press  her  face 
against  his  neck,  and  clasping  him  more  tightly  to  her, 
sob  from  excess  of  emotion.  Then  Dick  comforted  her, 
held  her  hands  in  his,  drew  her  down  towards  him  for  a 
kiss,  and  in  that  kiss  it  seemed  to  her  that  her  happiness 
must  last  forever,  so  completely  did  she  belong  to  her  lover, 
so  defended  and  so  concealed  were  they  from  the  gray 


208  A  Mummer's  Wife 

bitterness  of  the  outer  world  in  the  sweet  sentiment  of  their 
rose-colored  room. 

One  morning  Montgomery  came  to  see  them.  Kate 
jumped  off  Dick's  knee,  and  settling  her  skirts  with  the 
pretty  movement  of  a  surprised  woman,  threw  herself  into 
a  chair  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fireplace.  The  musician 
had  come  to  speak  about  his  opera,  especially  the  opening 
chorus,  about  which  he  could  not  make  up  his  mind. 

"  My  boy,"  said  Dick,  "  don't  be  afraid  of  making  it  too 
long.  There's  nothing  like  having  a  good  strong  number 
to  begin  with — something  with  grip  in  it,  you  know." 

Montgomery  looked  vaguely  into  space ;  he  was  obviously 
not  listening,  but  was  trying  to  follow  out  some  musical 
scheme  that  was  running  in  his  head.  After  a  long  silence, 
he  said: 

"What  I  can't  make  up  my  mind  about  is  whether  I  ought 
to  concert  that  first  number  or  have  it  sung  in  unison. 
Now  listen.  The  scene  is  the  wedding  festivities  of  Prince 
Florimel,  who  is  about  to  wed  Eva,  the  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Perhapsburg — devilish  good  name  you  know.  Well 
then,  the  flower-girls  come  on  first,  scattering  flowers ;  they 
proceed  two  l)y  two  and  arrange  themselves  in  line  on  both 
sides  of  the  stage.  They  are  followed  by  trumpeters  and 
a  herald,  then  come  the  ladies-in-waiting,  the  pages,  the 
courtiers,  and  the  palace  servants.  Very  well;  the  first 
four  lines,  you  know,  '  Hail !  hail !  the  festive  day  ' — that, 
of  course,  is  sung  by  the  sopranos." 

"  You  surely  don't  want  to  concert  that,  do  you  ?  "  in- 
terrupted Dick. 

"  Of  course  not ;  you  must  think  me  an  ignoramus.  The 
first  four  lines  are  sung  naturally  in  unison;  then  there 
is  a  repeat,  in  which  the  tenors  and  basses  are  singing 
against  the  women's  voices.  By  that  time  the  stage  will  be 
full.  Well  then,  what  I  am  thinking  of  doing  is,  when  I 
get  to  the  second  part  you  know — '  May  the  stars  much 
pleasure  send  you,  may  romance  and  love  attend  you,'  to 
repeat,  '  May  the  stars. '  " 

"  Oh,  I  see  what  you  mean,"  said  Dick,  who  began  to 
grow  interested.  "  You'll  give  '  May  the  stars  '  first  to  the 
sopranos,  and  then  repeat  with  the  tenors  and  basses  ?  " 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  209 

"That's  it.  I'll  show  3^ou,'-'  replied  Montgomery,  rush- 
ing to  the  piano.  "  Here  are  the  sopranos  singing  in  G, 
^  May  the  stars  ' — tenors,  '  May  the  stars  ' ;  tenors  and 
sopranos,  '  Much  pleasure  send  you/  hasses  an  octave  lower, 
*  May  the  stars — may  stars.'  Now  I'm  going  to  join  them 
together,  '  May  the  stars ' " 

Twisting  round  rapidly  on  the  piano-stool,  ]\Iontgomery 
pushed  his  glasses  high  up  on  his  beak-like  nose,  and  de- 
manded an  opinion.  But  before  Dick  could  say  a  word  a 
kick  of  the  long  legs  brought  the  musician  again  face  to 
the  keyboard,  and  for  several  minutes  he  crashed  away, 
occasionally  shouting  forth  an  explanatory  remark,  or  miit- 
tering  an  apology  when  he  failed  to  reach  the  high  soprano 
notes.  The  love-song,  however,  was  too  much  for  him,  and, 
laughing  at  his  own  breakdown,  he  turned  from  the  piano 
and  consented  to  resume  the  interrupted  conversation. 
Then  the  plot  and  musical  setting  of  Montgomery's  new 
work  was  ardently  discussed.  Frequent  mention  was  made 
of  the  names  of  Offenbach  and  Herve.  Both  were  admitted 
to  be  geniuses,  but  the  latter,  it  was  declared,  would  have 
been  the  greater  had  he  had  the  advantage  of  a  musical 
education.  Various  anecdotes  were  related  as  to  how  he 
had  achieved  his  first  successes.  Dick  was  very  firm  on 
this  point,  and  he  disputed  violently  with  Montgomery, 
who  questioned  the  possibility  of  a  man  who  could  not 
write  down  the  notes  being  able  to  compose  the  whole  score 
of  an  opera.  It  was?,  he  maintained,  ridiculous  to  talk  of 
dictating  a  finale. 

Kate  listened,  a  little  bewildered,  to  these  discussions, 
and  she  often  wondered  if  she  would  ever  be  able  to  under- 
stand what  they  were  talking  of.  She  thought  not.  The 
conversation  shifted  so  rapidly  that  even  when  she  suc- 
ceeded in  picking  up  the  thread  of  an  idea  it  so  soon  got 
entangled  with  another  that  she  began  to  despair.  But 
notwithstanding  these  digressions,  constant  reference  was 
made  to  Montgomery's  new  piece;  and  when  the  names  of 
the  ladies  of  the  company  were  being  run  over  in  search 
of  one  who  could  take  the  part  of  a  page,  with  a  song  and 
twenty  lines  of  dialogue  to  speak,  Dick  said : — 
14 


210  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Well,  perhaps  it  isn't  for  me  to  say  it,  but  I  assure  you 
that  I  don't  know  a  nicer  soprano  voice  than  Mrs.  Ede's." 

"  Ho,  ho ! "  cried  Montgomery,  twisting  his  legs  over 
the  arm  of  the  chair,  "  how  is  it  I  never  heard  of  this 
before?  But  won't  you  sing  something,  Mrs.  Ede?  If 
you  have  any  of  your  songs  here  I'll  try  the  accompaniment 
over." 

Kate,  who  did  not  know  a  crotchet  from  a  semiquaver, 
grew  frightened  at  this  talk  of  trying  over  accompani- 
ments, and  tried  to  stammer  out  some  apologies  and  ex- 
cuses. 

"  Oh,  really,  Mr.  Montgomery,  I  assure  you  Dick  is  only 
joking.  I  don't  sing  at  all — I  don't  know  anything  about 
music." 

"  Don't  you  mind  her ;  'tis  as  I  say,  she's  got  a  very  nice 
soprano  voice;  and  as  for  an  ear,  I  never  knew  a  better  in 
my  life.  There's  no  singing  flat  there,  I  can  tell  you. 
But,  seriously  speaking,"  he  continued,  taking  pity  on  Kate, 
whose  face  expressed  the  agony  of  shame  she  was  suffering, 
"  of  course  I  know  well  enough  she  don't  know  how  to  pro- 
duce her  voice;  she  never  had  a  lesson  in  her  life,  but  I 
think  you'll  agree  with  me,  when  you  hear  it,  that  the  organ 
is  there.     Do  sing  something,  Kate." 

Kate  cast  a  beseeching  glance  at  her  lover,  and  mur- 
mured some  unintelligible  words,  but  they  did  not  save  her. 
Montgomery  crossed  himself  over  the  stool,  and,  after  run- 
ning his  fingers  over  the  keys,  said : — 

"  Now,  sing  the  scale  after  me — do,  re,  mi,  fa,  sol,  la,  la 
— that's  the  note ;  try  to  get  that  clear — se,  do !  " 

Not  liking  to  disoblige  Dick,  and  seeing  how  little  was 
asked  of  her,  Kate  consented  to  have  her  voice  tried.  She 
sang  the  scale  after  Montgomery  in  the  first  instance,  and 
then,  encouraged  by  her  success,  gave  it  by  herself,  first 
in  one  octave  and  then  in  the  other. 

"Well,  don't  you  agree  with  me?"  said  Dick.  "The 
organ  is  there,  and  there's  no  fluffing  the  notes ;  they  come 
out  clear,  don't  they  ?  " 

"  They  do  indeed,"  replied  Montgomery,  casting  a  warm 
glance  of  admiration  at  Kate ;  "  but  I  should  so  much  like 
to  hear  Mrs.  Ede  sing  a  song." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  211 


"  Oh  !  I  really  couldn't " 

"  Nonsense;  sing  the  song  of  'The  Bells'  in  the  Cloches/' 
said  Dick,  taking  her  by  the  arm.  She  pleaded  and  argued, 
but  it  was  no  use,  and  when  at  last  it  was  decided  she  was 
to  sing,  Montgomery,  who  had  in  the  meantime  been  trying 
the  finale  of  his  first  act  in  several  difEerent  ways,  stopped 
short  and  said  suddenly, 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  you  are  going  to  sing  the  song 
of  '  The  Bells.'  I'll  tell  you  when  to  begin — now,  '  Though 
they  often  tell  us  of  our  ancient  masters.' " 

When  Kate  had  finished  singing  Montgomery  spun 
round,  and,  bringing  himself  face  to  face  with  Dick  said, 
speaking  professionally — 

"  'Pon  my  word,  its  extraordinary  how  well  she  does  sing. 
Of  course  it  is  a  head  voice,  but  could  we  get  a  few  chest 
notes  you  have  no  idea  how  diflPerent  it  would  sound." 

"And  hasn't  she  a  good  ear;  did  you  ever  hear  better 
tune  ?  " 

Under  this  fire  of  compliments  Kate  drew  back,  blush- 
ing at  once  from  shame  and  delight.  Never  had  she  heard 
herself  praised  before;  never  had  she  suspected  she  was 
capable  of  achieving  anything  worth  notice ;  and  the  double 
sensation,  whilst  it  confused  her,  stung  her  with  a  tingling 
of  spiritual  pleasure. 

"  You  know  I  don't  pretend  to  be  able  to  teach  singing, 
but  were  you  under  my  grandfather  for  a  year  or  so,  I  am 
perfectly  certain  that  Beaumont  wouldn't  be  in  the  same 
street  with  you." 

"  Yes,  but  as  he  isn't  here,"  replied  Dick,  who  always 
kept  an  eye  on  the  possible,  "  don't  you  think  it  would  be 
as  well  for  her  to  learn  a  little  music  ?  " 

"  I  shall  only  be  too  delighted  to  teach  Mrs.  Ede  the 
little  I  know  myself.  I'll  come  in  the  morning,  and  we'll 
work  away  at  the  piano;  and  you  know,"  continued  Mont- 
gomery, who  began  to  regret  the  confession  of  his  inability 
to  teach  singing,  "  although  I  don't  pretend  to  be  able  to 
do  what  my  grandfather  could  with  a  voice,  still  I  know 
something  about  it.  I  used  to  attend  all  his  singing-classes, 
and  am  pretty  well  up  in  his  method,  and — and — if  ]\Irs. 
Ede  likes,  I  shall  be  only  too  happy  to  do  some  singing 


212  A  Mummer's  Wife 

with  her;  and,  between  3^ou  and  me,  I  think  that  in  a  few 
lessons  I  could  get  rid  of  that  throatiness,  and  show  her 
how  to  get  a  note  or  two  from  the  chest." 

"  I'm  sure  you  could,  my  boy ;  and  I  shall  be  awfully 
delighted  with  you  if  you  will.  Of  course  we  must  con- 
sider it  as  a  matter  of  business." 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  nonsense,  between  pals ! "  exclaimed 
Montgomery,  who  saw  a  perspective  of  long  hours  passed 
in  the  society  of  a  pretty  woman — a  luxury  which  his  long 
nose  and  scraggy  figure  prevented  him  from  indulging  in 
as  frequently  as  he  desired. 

After  some  further  discussion,  it  was  arranged  that 
Montgomery  should  call  round  some  time  after  breakfast, 
and  that  Dick  should  then  leave  them  together  to  work 
away  at  do,  re,  mi,  fa.  Hamilton's  system  was  purchased, 
and  it  surprised  and  amused  Kate  to  learn  that  the  notes 
between  the  spaces  spelt  "  face."  But  it  was  in  her  singing 
lessons  that  she  took  the  most  interest,  and  her  voice  soon 
began  to  improve  both  in  power  and  quality.  She  sang  the 
scales  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour  daily,  and  before  tlie  end 
of  the  week  she  so  thoroughly  satisfied  Montgomery  in  her 
rendering  of  a  ballad  he  had  brought  for  her,  that  he 
begged  Dick  to  ask  a  few  of  the  "  Co."  in  to  tea  next  Sun- 
day evening.  The  shine  would  be  taken  out  of  Beaumont, 
he  declared  with  emphasis.  Kate,  however,  would  not 
hear  of  singing  before  anybody  for  the  present,  and  she 
gave  up  going  to  the  theatre  in  the  evening  so  that  she 
might  have  two  or  three  hours  of  quiet  to  study  music- 
reading  by  herself.  In  the  morning  she  woke  to  talk  of 
Montgomery,  who  generally  came  in  while  they  were  at 
breakfast;  and  when  the  lesson  was  over  he  would  often 
stop  on  until  they  were  far  advanced  in  the  afternoon, 
and,  looking  at  each  other  from  time  to  time,  they  spoke 
of  the  next  town  they  were  going  to,  and  alluded  to  the 
events  of  their  last  journey.  Kate  would  have  liked,  but 
she  felt  ashamed,  to  speak  much  of  Dick;  but  she  listened, 
interested,  to  all  IMontgomery  told  her  of  himself,  of  the 
difficulties  he  had  to  contend  against,  of  his  hopes  for  the 
future.  He  spoke  a  great  deal  of  his  opera,  and  he  ex- 
plained his  intentions  concerning  it.     The  piano  was  ever 


A  Mummer's  Wife  213 

handy,  and  he  often  sprang  up  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence 
to  give  a  practical  illustration  of  his  meaning  on  the  in- 
strument. But  these  musical  digressions  did  not  weary- 
Kate,  and  she  judged,  to  the  best  of  her  ability,  the  dif- 
ferent versions  of  the  finale.  "  Give  the  public  what  they 
wanted,"  that  was  his  motto,  and  he  intended  to  act  up 
to  it.  He  had  written  two  or  three  comic  songs  that  had 
been  immense  successes,  not  to  speak  of  the  yards  of  panto- 
mime music  he  had  composed,  and  he  knew  that  when  he 
got  hold  of  a  good  book  in  three  acts  that  he'd  be  able  to 
tackle  it.  What  he  was  doing  now  was  not  much  more  than 
a  lever  de  rideau;  but  never  mind,  that  was  the  way  to 
begin.  You  couldn't  expect  a  manager  to  trust  you  with 
the  piece  of  the  evening  until  you  had  proved  that  you 
could  interest  the  public  in  smaller  work.  At  this  point 
of  the  argument  Montgomery  generally  spoke  of  Dick, 
whom  he  declared  was  a  dear  good  fellow,  who  would  be 
only  too  glad  to  give  a  pal  a  lift  when  the  time  came.  Kate, 
on  her  side,  longed  to  hear  something  of  her  lover  from  an 
outside  source.  All  she  knew  of  him  she  had  learned  from 
his  own  lips.  Montgomery,  in  whose  head  all  sorts  of 
reveries  concerning  Kate  were  floating,  was  burning  to  talk 
to  her  of  her  lover,  and  to  hear  from  her  own  lips  of  the 
happiness  which  he  imagined  a  true  and  perfect  affection 
bestowed  upon  human  life.  They  had  talked  on  all  subjects 
but  this.  Kate  from  timidity  had  not  spoken;  Mont- 
gomery, for  fear  of  wounding  her  feelings,  had  avoided  it ; 
but  they  were  conscious  that  the  restraint  jarred  their 
intimacy.  One  afternoon  Dick  suddenly  burst  in  on  their 
tete-a-tete.  He  was  in  a  great  hurry,  and  after  some  pre- 
amble he  told  them  that  he  had  arranged  to  meet  there 
some  gentlemen  with  whom  he  had  important  business  to 
transact.  Montgomery  took  up  his  hat  and  prepared  to 
go ;  Kate  offered  to  sit  with  the  landlady  in  the  kitchen. 

"  I'm  afraid  you'll  bore  yourself,  dear,"  Dick  said  after 
a  pause.  "  But  I'll  tell  you  what  you  might  do — I  shan't 
be  able  to  take  you  out  to-day.  Why  not  go  for  a  walk  with 
Montgomery  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  delighted ;  I'll  take  you  for  a  charming  walk 
up  the  hill,  and  show  you  the  whole  town." 


^14  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Kate  had  no  objection  to  make ;  so,  bidding  the  manager 
good-by,  they  started  off  on  their  excursion.  Montgomery 
wore  a  long  Newmarket  coat,  the  tails  of  which  flapped 
about  his  legs  as  he  strode  forward.  Kate  was  dressed  in 
a  brown  costume,  trimmed  with  feathers  to  match ;  a  small 
bonnet  crowned  the  top  of  her  head,  and  her  face  looked 
adorably  coquettish  amid  the  big  bows  into  which  she  had 
tied  the  strings.  Her  companion  was  very  conscious  of  this 
fact,  and  with  his  heart  full  of  pride,  he  occasionally  jerked 
his  head  round  to  watch  the  passers-by,  doubting  at  the 
same  time  if  any  were  as  happy  as  he. 

As  the  Lennoxes  lived  high  up  in  the  town  in  an  outlying 
street  amid  the  sandhills,  it  took  five  minutes'  walk  to  reach 
the  Sea  Eoad.  Blackpool  is  an  airy  and  wide  town,  and  it 
bears  the  same  relation  to  the  other  towns  of  Lancashire 
as  the  seventh  day  does  to  the  other  six  of  the  week.  It  is 
the  huge  Lancashire  Sunday,  where  the  working  classes 
of  Accrington,  Blackburn,  Preston,  and  Burnley,  during 
a  week  or  a  fortnight  of  the  year,  go  to  recreate  them- 
selves. A  sense  of  decorum  always  reigns  in  the  streets; 
they  are  built  with  large  pavements,  so  that  jostling  may 
be  avoided.  There  are  many  open  spaces  where  people  may 
loiter  and  congregate;  the  bonnets  exhibited  in  the  plate- 
glass  windows  are  obviously  intended  for  holiday  wear,  and 
it  is  easy  to  see  freshly-painted  walls  and  bright  mahogany, 
though  the  strings  of  the  spick  and  span  green  Venetian 
blinds  be  closely  drawn.  By  the  sea  the  mock  Elizabethan 
gables  show  an  attempt  at  taste;  but  they  only  line  the 
lengthy  Sea  Eoad  like  an  endless  procession  of  well-to-do 
tradespeople  dressed  out  in  their  Sunday  best.  They  were 
then  gaudy  notes  of  red  color  set  on  a  dead  blue  eastern 
sky. 

On  the  left,  twenty  feet  below,  is  a  long  strand,  over 
which  the  two  spider-legged  piers  crawl  at  a  low  tide,  and 
beyond  the  villas  a  high  headland  crowns  the  ocean  with  a 
cap  of  green.  After  about  ten  minutes'  walk  they  began 
to  leave  the  town  behind  them;  a  wide  waste  of  scrubby 
land  lay  in  front  of  them. 

"  Do  you  know  that  the  fellow  who  owns  that  building 
has  made  a  fortune  ? ''  said  Montgomery,  pointing  to  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  215 

roofs  which  began  to  appear  above  the  edge  of  the  common. 

"  Did  he  really  ? "  replied  Kate,  trying  to  appear  in- 
terested. 

"  Yes ;  he  began  with  a  sort  of  shanty  where  he  sold 
ginger-beer  and  lemonade.  It  became  the  fashion  to  go  out 
there,  and  now  he's  got  dining-rooms  and  a  spirit  license. 
We  went  up  there  last  week,  a  lot  of  us,  and  we  had  such 
fun;  we  went  donkey-riding,  and  Leslie  got  such  a  fall. 
Did  she  tell  you  of  it  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  have  scarcely  spoken  to  her  for  the  last  few 
days." 

"  How's  that  ?    I  thought  you  were  such  friends.'* 

"  I  like  her  very  much ;  but  she's  always  on  the  stage  at 
night,  and  I  don't  like — I  mean  I  should  like — but  I  don't 
know  that  she  would  like  me  to  go  and  see  her." 

"  And  why  not,  pray  ?  " 

This  question  was  embarrassing,  and  Kate  did  not 
answer  for  some  time.  At  last,  raising  her  eyes,  and  as 
suddenly  casting  them  down,  she  said — 

"  Well,  I  thought  she  mightn't  like  me  to  come  and  see 
her,  because  I'm — well,  on  account  of  Dick." 

"  Oh,  what  nonsense !  There's  nothing  between  them 
now ;  that's  all  over  ages  ago,  and  she's  dead  nuts  on  Bret." 

Kate  had  now  been  nearly  a  fortnight  with  the  actors; 
but  as  she  had  lived  from  timidity  almost  apart,  little  had 
as  yet  come  under  her  observation  which  had  let  her  into 
the  secret  of  their  manners  and  morals.  Dick  had  scarcely 
spoken  to  her  on  the  subject.  She  had,  therefore,  not  yet 
learned  that  in  the  society  she  was  in  no  opprobrium  was 
attached  to  the  fact  of  a  woman  having  a  lover,  and  she 
still  innocently  supposed  that  because  she  had  left  her 
husband  Leslie  might  not  like  to  associate  with  her.  To 
learn,  then,  that  she  had  only  replaced  anotlier  woman 
in  Dick's  affections  came  upon  her  with  a  very  sud- 
den shock,  and  it  was  the  very  suddenness  of  the  blow 
that  saved  her  from  half  the  pain;  for  it  was  impossible 
for  a  woman  who  saw  in  the  world  nothing  but  the  sacri- 
fice she  had  made  for  the  man  she  loved,  to  realize  the  fact 
that  Dick's  love  of  her  was  a  toy  that  had  been  taken  up, 
just  as  love  of  Miss  Leslie  was  a  toy  that  had  been  laid 


316  A  Mummer's  Wife 

down.  It  did  not  occur  to  her  to  think  that  the  man  she 
was  living  with  might  desert  her,  nor  did  she  experience 
any  very  cruel  pangs  of  jealousy ;  she  was  more  startled 
than  anything  else  by  the  appearance  of  a  third  person  in 
the  world  which  for  the  last  week  had  seemed  so  entirely 
her  own. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  she  said,  stopping  abruptly. 
"  Was  Dick,  then,  in  love  with  Miss  Leslie  before  he  knew 
me  ?  " 

Seeing  his  mistake,  Montgomery  colored  and  strove  to 
improvise  excuses. 

"  'No,"  he  said,  "  of  course  he  wasn't  really  in  love  with 
her ;  but  we  used  to  chaff  him  about  her ;  that  was  all." 

"  Why  should  you  do  that,  when  she  was  in  love  with 
Bret  ?  "  said  Kate  harshly. 

]\Iontgomery,  who  dreaded  a  quarrel  with  Dick  as  he 
would  death,  grasped  at  a  bit  of  truth  to  help  him  out  of 
his  difficulty,  and,  trembling  with  excitement,  he  answered 
eagerly— 

"  But  I  assure  you  Bret  and  Leslie's  affair  only  began  a 
couple  of  months  ago.  When  we  first  went  out  on  teur 
there  was  nothing  between  them,  and  then  we  joked  Dick 
about  her  just  to  vex  him.  If  you  don't  believe  me,  you 
can  ask  the  rest  of  the  company. 

To  this  Kate  made  no  reply,  and  with  her  eyes  upon  the 
ground  she  remained  for  some  moments  thinking.  The 
light  and  matter-of-course  way  in  which  her  companion 
spoke  of  the  affections  troubled  her  exceedingly,  and  very 
naively  she  asked  herself  if  it  were  possible  that  the  people 
she  was  with  saw  no  sin  living  together.  In  the  meanwhile 
Montgomery  watched  her,  and  he  considered  what  phrases 
were  best  to  employ  to  convince  her  that  Dick  had  never 
been  Miss  Leslie's  lover.    After  a  long  silence  he  said, 

"  Eeally  it  is  too  bad  to  be  taken  up  in  that  way.  There's 
alvv^ays  a  bit  of  chaff  going  on ;  but  if  it  were  all  taken  for 
gospel  truth  I  don't  know  where  we  should  be.  I  give 
you  my  word  of  honor  that  I  don't  think  he  ever  looked 
twice  at  her;  anyhow,  he  didn't  hesitate  between  you.  nor 
could  he,  for,  of  course,  you  know  you  are  a  fifty  times 
prettier  woman." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  217 

Kate  answered  the  flattery  with  a  delightful  smile^  and 
Montgomery  thought  that  he  had  nearly  convinced  her. 
But  the  young  man  was  deceived  by  appearances.  He  had 
succeeded  more  in  turning  the  current  of  her  thoughts  than 
in  persuading  her. 

"  You  seem  to  think  very  lightly  of  such  things,"  she 
said,  raising  her  brown  eyes  with  a  look  that  melted  her 
face  to  a  heavenly  softness. 

Montgomery  did  not  understand,  and  she  was  forced  to 
explain.  This  was  difficult  to  do,  but,  after  a  slight  hesita- 
tion, she  said, 

"  Then  you  really  do  believe  that  Miss  Leslie  and  Mr. 
Bret  are  lovers?  " 

"  Oh,  I  really  don't  know,"  he  said  hastily,  for  he  saw 
himself  drawn  into  a  fresh  complication ;  "  I  never  pry 
into  other  people's  affairs.  They  seem  to  like  each  other, 
that's  all." 

It  was  now  Kate's  turn  to  see  that  indiscreet  questions 
might  lead  to  the  quarrels  she  was  most  anxious  to  avoid, 
and  they  walked  along  the  breezy  common  in  silence.  In 
the  foreground  a  dozen  donkey-boys  who  had  been  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  clients  belaboured  their  animals  with 
sticks  and  strove  to  frighten  them  with  shouts.  The  sails 
of  a  windmill  were  seen  turning  over  the  crest  of  a  hill, 
and,  nearly  lost  in  the  dim  horizon,  a  factory  chimney  or 
two  smoked.  On  the  left,  the  cliff  took  a  slieer  dip  of  fifty 
feet  down  to  the  long,  uncovered  reaches  which  stretched 
away  for  miles  and  miles;  glistening  patches  of  water, 
weedy  wastes  of  stone  filled  full  with  the  white  wings  of 
sea-gulls,  touched  here  and  there  with  the  black  backs  of 
the  shrimp-fishers.  The  sea  was  a  hazy,  distant  streak, 
and  the  dome  of  the  sky  immense. 

"  How  l)eautiful  the  country  is !  I  didn't  know  what  it 
was  like  till  lately.  I  never  was  out  of  Hanley  before. 
How  I  should  like  to  live  here  always  by  the  sea  1  And  how 
strange  it  is  that  it  should  go  and  come  like  that !  I  had 
never  seen  it  till  the  day  before  yesterday  as  it  is  now,  and 
Dick  was  so  amused,  for  I  thought  it  was  going  to  dry  up. 
The  morning  after  our  arrival  here  we  sat  down  by  the 
bathing-boxes  on  the  beach  and  listened  to  the  waves.    They 


318  A  Mummer's  Wife 

roared  along  the  shore.  It  was  very  wonderful.  Do  you 
not  think  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed  I  do.  When  I  was  here  before,  I  spent  one 
whole  morning  listening  to  the  waves,  and  their  surging 
suggested  a  waltz  to  me.  This  is  the  way  it  went,"  and 
leaning  on  the  rough  paling  that  guarded  the  precipitous 
edge,  Montgomery  sang  his  unpublished  composition.  "  I 
never  got  any  farther,"  he  said,  stopping  short  in  the 
middle  of  the  second  part;  "I  somehow  lost  the  character 
of  the  thing;  but  I  like  the  opening." 

"  Oh,  so  do  I.  I  wonder  how  you  can  think  of  such 
tunes.    How  clever  you  must  be !  " 

Montgomery  smiled  nervously,  and  he  proposed  that  they 
should  go  over  to  the  hotel  to  have  a  drink.  The  sweet 
face  of  the  woman  enframed  in  the  infinite  and  misty 
spaces  of  sea  and  sky  was  overpowering,  and  he  had  to 
struggle  with  his  feelings  as  he  would  against  the  persua- 
siveness of  a  narcotic.  It  seemed  impossible  not  to  betray 
himself,  and  he  strove  not  to  look  eagerly  at  her — at  the 
richness  of  the  black  velvety  tresses,  and  the  still  com- 
plexion filled  with  the  delicate  greens  of  an  ostrich  egg, 
and  modelled  as  delicately.  The  last  few  days  had  accom- 
plished almost  miraculous  changes  in  Kate.  The  strong 
air  breathed  in  her  walks  along  the  seashore,  and  the  under- 
done beefsteaks  eaten  in  the  morning,  had  rendered  her 
organism,  as  it  were,  joyous,  and  in  this  material  existence 
the  woman  became  singularly  beautiful.  A  little  of  the 
rapidly  circulating  blood  flowed  to  her  cheeks,  and  tinted 
them  Vv'ith  hues  more  tender  than  the  rarest  carnations  can 
boast  of.  The  shadows  and  signs  of  work  and  unrest  dis- 
appeared; the  draggings  of  the  skin  and  the  too  incisive 
lines  of  the  features — all  that  marks  age  in  a  woman — 
melted  and  cleared  away.  Her  figure,  which  had  threat- 
ened to  turn  angular,  now  commenced  to  swell  like  a  bud- 
ding flower  into  delicate  roundnesses,  and  as  she  leaned  on 
the  rail  the  flesh  of  her  arms  in  one  or  two  places  distended 
the  seams  of  her  dress. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  like  to  go  up  there,"  she  said  after  examin- 
ing for  some  moments  this  hillside  bar-room.  "  Look  at 
all  the  men  there  are  before  the  door." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  219 

"  What  does  it  matter  ?  We'll  have  a  table  to  ourselves. 
Besides,  you'd  better  have  something  to  eat,  for  now  we 
are  out  we  may  as  well  stay  out.  There's  no  use  going  back 
yet  awhile.     Dick  may  have  to  ask  those  men  to  lunch." 

Kate  debated  within  lierself  if  she  should  accept  or  re- 
fuse, but  Montgomery  talked  so  rapidly  of  his  waltz — of 
whether  he  should  call  it  the  "  Wave,"  the  "  Seashore," 
or  the  "  Cliff,"  that  he  did  not  give  her  time  to  collect  her 
thoughts,  and  they  were  soon  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
porch. 

"  I  can't  go  in  there,"  she  said ;  "  why,  it's  only  a  public- 
house." 

"  Oh,  nonsense ;  everybody  comes  up  here  to  have  a 
drink.    It  is  quite  the  fashion." 

The  men  round  the  doorway  stared  at  her,  and  Kate  felt 
bitterly  ashamed;  but  seeing  some  of  their  own  chorus- 
girls  coming  from  where  the  donkeys  were  stationed,  in  the 
company  of  young  men  with  high  collars  and  tight  trousers, 
she  ran  into  the  bar-room. 

"  Now  you  see  what  a  scrape  you  have  led  me  into.  I 
wouldn't  have  met  those  people  for  anything." 

"  What  does  it  matter  ?  If  it  were  wrong  do  you  think 
I'd  bring  you  in  here?  You  ask  Dick  when  you  get 
home." 

A  doubt  of  the  possibility  of  Dick  thinking  anything 
wrong  clouded  Kate's  mind,  and  Montgomery  ordered 
sandwiches  and  two  brandies  and  sodas.  Horror  of  a 
public-house,  since  her  childhood,  had  been  vigorously  im- 
pressed on  Kate's  mind ;  and  she  had  always  been  taught 
to  consider  as  the  most  degraded  of  human  beings  the  dark- 
shawled  and  crumpled-bonnetted  women  who  slide  out  of 
the  swinging  doors  to  slink  down  an  alley.  It  astonished 
her,  therefore,  to  hear  Montgomery  say  that  he  saw  no  more 
harm  in  having  a  drink  and  a  bite  in  a  pub  than  anywhere 
else.  The  point  was  argued  passionately,  but  it  did  not 
prevent  them  from  enjoying  themselves.  The  sandwiches 
were  excellent,  and  Kate,  who  had  scarcely  tasted  anything 
but  beer  in  her  life,  thought  the  brandy  and  soda  very  re- 
freshing. When  she  had  finished  Montgomery  tried  to 
persuade  her  to  try  a  "  split "  with  him,  but  she  answered 


330  A  Mummer's  Wife 

laughing,  that  if  she  did  he  would  have  to  take  her  home 
in  a  carriage.  The  question  then  came  of  how  to  get  out  of 
the  place,  and  after  much  hesitation  and  conjecturing,  they 
slipped  out  the  back  way  through  the  poultry-yard  and 
stables. 

In  front  of  them  was  a  very  steep  path  which  led  to  the 
sea-strand.  Large  masses  of  earth  had  given  way,  and 
these  had  formed  ledges  which,  in  turn,  had  somehow 
become  linked  together,  and  down  these  it  was  just  possible 
to  climb. 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  manage  ?  "  he  said,  holding 
out  his  hand. 

"  I  don't  know ;  do  you  think  it  dangerous  ?  " 

"  No,  not  if  you  take  care;  but  the  cliff  is  pretty  high; 
it  would  not  do  to  fall  over.  Perhaps  you  had  better  come 
back  across  the  common  by  the  road." 

"  And  meet  all  those  girls  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should  be  afraid  of  meeting  them," 
said  Montgomery,  who  was  secretly  anxious  to  show  the 
chorus  that  if  he  were  not  the  possessor,  he  was  at  least 
on  very  intimate  terms  with  this  pretty  woman. 

^'  Oh  no,  no !  I  wouldn't  meet  them  for  the  world,  and 
coming  out  of  a  public-house,  too !  I  don't  see  why  we 
shouldn't  come  down  this  way.  I  am  sure  I  can  manage 
it  if  you  will  give  me  your  hand  and  go  first." 

The  descent  then  began.  Kate's  high-heeled  boots  were 
hard  to  walk  in,  and  every  now  and  then  her  feet  would 
fail  her,  and  she  would  utter  little  cries  of  fear,  and  lean 
against  the  cliff's  side.  It  was  delightful  to  reassure  her, 
and  Montgomery  profited  by  those  occasions  to  lay  his  hands 
upon  her  shoulders  and  hold  her  arms  in  his  hands.  Below 
them  lay  the  blank,  wide  reaches  of  the  sea;  above  them  a 
dome  of  misty  sky.  No  human  creature  was  in  hearing  or 
in  sight,  and  solitude  seemed  to  unite  them  and  the  mimic 
danger  of  the  descent  to  endear  them  to  each  other.  The 
quiet  and  enchantment  of  earth  and  air  melted  into  her 
thoughts  until  she  enjoyed  a  perfect  bliss  of  unreasoned 
emotion.  He,  too,  was  conscious  of  the  day,  and  his  liappi- 
ness,  touched  with  a  diffused  sense  of  desire,  was  intense, 
even  to  a  savor  of  bitterness.     Like  all  young  men,  he 


A  Mummer's  Wife  221 

longed  to  complete  his  youth  by  some  great  passion,  but  out 
of  horror  of  the  gross  sensualities  with  which  he  was  always 
surrounded,  his  delicate  artistic  nature  took  refuge  in  a 
pseudo-platonic  affection  for  his  friend's  mistress.  It  was 
an  infinite  pleasure,  and  could  it  have  lasted  forever  he 
would  not  have  thought  of  changing  it.  To  take  her  by 
the  hand  and  help  her  to  cross  the  weedy  stones ;  to  watch 
her  pretty  stare  of  wonderment  when  he  explained  that 
the  flux  and  reflux  of  the  tides  were  governed  by  the 
moon;  to  hear  her  speak  of  love^  and  to  dream  what  that 
love  might  be  was  enough. 

Along  the  coast  there  were  miles  and  miles  of  reaches, 
and  to  gain  the  sea  they  were  obliged  to  make  many  detours. 
Sometimes  they  came  upon  long  stretches  of  sand  separated 
by  what  seemed  to  them  to  be  a  river,  and  Montgomery 
often  proposed  that  he  should  carry  Kate  across  the  stream- 
let. But  she  would  not  hear  of  it,  although,  on  one  occasion, 
she  did  not  refuse  until  he  had  placed  his  arms  around  her 
waist.  Escaping  from  him  she  ran  along  the  edge,  saying 
she  would  find  a  passing-place.  Montgomery  pursued, 
amused  by  the  fluttering  of  her  petticoats;  and  they  both 
stopped  like  disappointed  children  when,  after  a  race  of 
twenty  or  thirty  yards,  they  found  that  their  discovered 
river  was  only  a  long  pool  that  owned  no  outlet  to  the  sea. 

"  Well,  never  mind,"  said  Kate ;  "  did  you  ever  see  such 
beautiful  clear  water  ?    I  must  have  a  drink." 

"  You  have  no  cup,"  he  said,  turning  away  so  that  she 
should  not  see  him  laughing.  "  You  might  manage  to  get 
up  a  little  in  your  hands." 

"  So  I  might.  Oh  what  fun !  Tell  me  how  I  am  to  do 
it." 

Very  gravely  he  made  her  kneel  on  the  firm  sand,  and 
having  showed  her  how  to  hollow  her  hands,  he  waited  to 
enjoy  the  result  of  his  joke.  And  forgetful  that  the  sea 
was  salt  she  lifted  the  brine  to  her  lips ;  but  when  she  spat 
out  the  horrible  mouthful  and  turned  on  him  a  questioning 
face,  he  only  answered  that  if  she  didn't  take  care  she  would 
be  the  death  of  him. 

"  And  didn't  urns  know  the  sea  was  salt,  and  did  urns 


222  A  Mummer's  Wife 

think  it  very  nasty^  and  not  half  as  nice  as  a  brandy-and- 
soda." 

Kate  watched  him  for  a  moment,  and  then  her  face 
clouded,  and  pouting  her  pretty  lips  she  said : 

"  Of  course  I  don't  pretend  to  be  as  clever  as  you,  but  if 
you  had  never  seen  the  sea  until  a  week  ago  you  might  for- 
get." 

"  Yes,  yes,  for — for — get  that  it — it  was  not  as  nice  as 
brandy-and-soda,"  cried  Montgomery,  holding  his  sides. 

"  I  wasn't  going  to  say  that,  and  it  was  very  rude  of 
you  to  interrupt  me  in  that  way." 

"  Now  come,  don't  get  cross.  You  should  understand  a 
joke  better  than  that,"  he  replied,  for  seeing  the  tears  in  her 
eyes  he  began  to  fear  he  had  spoiled  the  delight  of  their  day. 

"  I  think  it  is  unkind  of  you  to  laugh  at  me  and  play 
tricks  on  me  like  that,"  said  Kate,  trying  to  master  her 
emotion.    The  tears  stood  in  her  eyes. 

Then  as  they  walked  under  the  pale  sunset,  Montgomery 
broke  long  and  irritating  silences  by  apologizing  for  his 
indiscretion,  but  until  they  arrived  at  a  place  where  a  little 
boy  and  girl  were  fishing  for  shrimps,  Kate  did  not  answer 
him.  Here  there  was  quite  a  little  lake,  and  amid  the  rocks 
and  weedy  stones  the  clear  water  flowed  as  it  might  in  an 
aquarium.  The  light  from  above  decorated  the  liquid  sur- 
face with  the  most  delicate  opal  tints,  and  the  reflections 
of  the  children's  plump  limbs  in  the  water  were  adorable. 

"  Oh,  how  nice  they  look  !  What  little  dears  !  "  exclaimed 
Kate,  but  as  she  pressed  forward  to  watch  the  children  her 
foot  dislodged  a  young  lobster  from  the  corner  of  rock  in 
which  he  had  been  hiding. 

"  That's  a  lobster,"  cried  Montgomery. 

"  Is  it  ?  "  cried  Kate,  and  she  pursued  the  ungainly  thing, 
which  sought  vainly  for  a  crevice. 

After  an  animated  chase,  with  the  aid  of  her  parasol  she 
caught  it,  and  was  about  to  take  it  up  with  her  fingers  when 
Montgomery  stopped  her. 

"  You  had  better  take  care ;  it  will  pretty  well  nip  the 
fingers  off  you." 

"  You  aren't  joking  ?  "  she  asked  innocently. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  223 

"  No,  indeed  I'm  not ;  but  I  hope  you  don't  mind  my 
telling  you." 

At  that  moment  their  eyes  met,  and  Kate,  seeing  how 
foolish  she  had  been,  burst  into  fits  of  laughter. 

"  No,  no,  no,  I — I  don't  mind  your  telling  me  that — that 
a  lobster  bites,  but " 

"  But  when  it  comes  to  saying  sea-water  is  not  as  nice 
as  brandy-and-soda,"  he  replied,  bursting  into  a  roar  of 
merriment,  "  we  cut  up  rough,  don't  we  ?  " 

The  children  climbed  up  on  the  rocks  to  look  at  them, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  Kate  could  find  words  to  ask 
them  to  show  what  they  had  caught.  The  little  boy  was 
especially  clever  at  his  work,  and  regardless  of  wetting 
himself,  he  plunged  into  the  deepest  pools,  intercepting 
with  his  net  at  every  turn  the  swiftly  crawling  shrimps  who 
vainly  sought  to  escape  him.  His  little  sister,  too,  was  not 
lacking  in  dexterity,  and  between  them  they  had  filled  a 
fairly-sized  basket.  Kate  examined  everything  with  an 
almost  feverish  interest.  Long  gluey  masses  of  seaweed  she 
tore  from  the  rocks  and  insisted  on  carrying  home ;  the  mus- 
sels she  found  on  the  rocks  interested  her  profoundly,  and 
concerning  a  dead  starfish  she  questioned  the  little  shrimp- 
fishers  for  several  minutes.  They  looked  at  her  in  amaze- 
ment, evidently  thinking  it  very  strange  that  a  grown- 
up woman  should  ask  such  questions.  Finally,  however, 
the  little  boy  showed  her  what  she  was  to  do  with  the  lobster. 
He  wedged  the  claws  witli  two  bits  of  wood,  and  attached 
a  string  whereby  she  might  carry  it  in  her  hand.  Mont- 
gomery affected  to  be  much  amused  by  her  innocence,  but 
in  truth  he  knew  very  little  more  of  the  sea  than  did  his 
companion. 

At  moments  expressions  of  patient  beatitude  passed  over 
their  faces.  For  him,  whose  life  was  spent  in  the  dark 
twilight  of  rehearsals,  whose  sun  was  the  gas  at  night, 
whose  fields  were  a  cloth  of  green  baize,  and  who  breathed 
but  the  odors  of  size,  violet-powder,  and  dust;  for  her, 
whose  life  had  been  spent  in  the  glare  of  red  brick  walls, 
whose  sky  had  been  over  a  smoke-cloud,  whose  fields  had 
been  spaces  of  black  cinders,  this  long  and  odoriferous  sea- 


324  A  Mummer's  Wife 

shore,  ventilated  by  the  rose-tinted  evening  sky,  was  a 
mysterious  and  luminous  revelation. 

With  delicate  gourmandise  they  abandoned  themselves  to 
thinking  of  their  happiness,  and  in  silences  that  were  only 
interrupted  by  occasional  words  they  picked  their  way 
along  the  strand. 

Kate  thought  of  Dick — of  what  he  was  doing,  of  what 
he  was  saying.  She  saw  him  surrounded  by  men;  there 
were  glasses  on  the  table.  She  looked  into  his  large,  melan- 
choly blue  eyes,  and  dreamed  of  when  she  would  sit  again 
on  his  knees  and  explain  to  him  for  the  hundredth  time 
that  love  was  all-sufficing,  and  that  he  who  possessed  it  could 
possess  nothing  more.  Montgomery  was  also  thinking  of 
Dick,  and  for  the  conquest  of  so  pretty  a  woman  the  dreamy- 
minded  musician  viewed  his  manager  with  admiration. 
The  morality  of  the  question  did  not  appeal  to  him,  and  his 
only  fear  was  that  Kate  would  one  day  be  deserted.  "  If 
so,"  he  then  thought,  and  not  without  a  certain  exaltation 
of  the  senses,  "  I  must  support  her."  Such  a  duty  appeared 
to  him  an  imparadised  dream,  and  to  realize  it  he  thought 
of  the  music  he  would  have  to  compose — songs,  all  of  which 
would  be  dedicated  to  her.    After  a  long  silence  she  said : 

"  Have  you  known  Dick  a  long  time  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  two  or  three  years  or  so,"  replied  Mont- 
gomery, a  little  abashed  at  a  question  which  sounded  at  that 
moment  like  a  distant  echo  of  his  own  thoughts,  "  Why  do 
you  ask  ?  " 

"  For  no  very  particular  reason,  only  you  seem  such  great 
friends." 

"  Yes,  I  like  him  very  much,  he's  such  a  dear  good  fellow, 
he'd  divide  his  last  bob  with  a  pal." 

The  conversation  then  came  to  a  pause.  Both  suddenly 
remembered  how  they  had  set  out  on  their  walk  determined 
to  seek  information  of  each  other  on  certain  subjects. 
Montgomery  wished  to  hear  from  Kate  how  Dick  had  per- 
suaded her  to  run  away  with  him;  Kate  wanted  to  learn 
from  Montgomery  something  of  her  lover's  private  life — if 
he  were  faithful  to  a  woman  when  he  loved  her,  if  he  had 
been  in  love  with  many  women  before.  As  she  considered 
how  she  would  put  her  questions  a  gray  cloud  passed  over 


A  Mummer's  Wife  236 

her  face,  and  she  thought  of  Miss  Leslie.  But  just  as  she 
was  going  to  speak  Montgomery  interrupted  her.    He  said : 

"  You  did  not  know  Dick  before  he  came  to  lodge  in  your 
house  at  Hanley,  did  you  ?  " 

Kate  raised  lier  eyes  with  a  swift  and  startled  look,  but 
being  anxious  to  speak  on  the  subject  she  replied,  speaking 
very  softly: 

"No,  never;  and  perhaps  it  would  have  been  well  if  he 
had  never  come  to  my  house." 

There  was  not  so  much  insincerity  in  the  phrase  as  may 
at  first  appear.  Nearly  all  women  consider  it  necessary  to 
maintain  to  themselves  and  to  others  that  they  deeply  regret 
having  sinned.  The  delusion  at  once  pleases  and  consoles 
them,  and  they  cling  to  it  to  the  last. 

"  I  often  think  of  it,"  said  Montgomery.  "  It  appears  to 
me  such  a  romantic  story,  that  you  who  sat  all  day  and  mi 
— mi — "  he  was  going  to  say  minded  a  sick  husband,  but  for 
fear  of  wounding  her  feelings  he  altered  the  sentence  to 
"  and  never,  or  hardly  ever,  left  Hanley  in  your  life,  should 
be  going  about  the  country  with  us." 

Kate,  who  guessed  what  he  had  intended  saying,  an- 
swered : 

"  Yes,  I'm  afraid  I've  been  very  wicked.  I  often  think 
of  it,  and  you  must  despise  me.  That's  what  makes  me 
ashamed  to  go  about  with  the  rest  of  the  company.  I'm 
always  wondering  what  they  think  of  me.  Tell  me,  do  tell 
me  the  truth,  I  don't  mind  hearing  it.  What  do  they  say 
about  me  ?    Do  they  abuse  me  very  much  ?  " 

"  Abuse  you  ?  They  abuse  you  for  being  a  pretty  woman, 
I  suppose,  but  as  for  anything  else,  good  heavens!  they'd 
look  well !  Why,  you  are  far  the  most  respectable  one 
among  the  lot.    Don't  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  I  suspected  Beaumont  was  not  quite  right,  perhaps ; 
but  you  don't  mean  to  say  there  isn't  one  ?  Not  that  little 
thing  with  fair  hair  who  sings  in  the  chorus  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  they  say  she's  all  right.  There  are  one  or 
two  perhaps ;  but  when  it  comes  to  asking  me  if  Beaumont 
and  Leslie  are  down  on  you  for  leaving  your  husband !  Oh, 
that's  too  good  !  "  and  Montgomery  burst  out  laughing. 

This  decided  expression  of  opinion  was  grateful  to  Kate's 
15 


236  A  Mummer's  Wife 

feelings,  and  the  conversation  might  liave  been  pursued  with 
advantage,  but  seeing  an  opportunity  of  speaking  of  Dick, 
she  said: 

"  But  you  told  me  there  was  nothing  between  Mr.  Bret 
and  Miss  Leslie.'" 

"  I  told  you  I  didn't  know  whether  there  was  or  not ;  but 
I'm  quite  sure  there  never  was  between  her  and  Dick.  You 
see  I  can  guess  what  you  are  trying  to  get  at." 

"  I  can  scarcely  believe  that.  Now  I  think  of  it,  I  remem- 
ber she  was  in  his  room  the  night  of  the  row,  when  he 
turned  me  out." 

"  Yes,  yes ;  but  there  were  a  lot  of  us.  The  principals  in 
a  company  generally  stick  together.  It  is  extraordinary 
how  you  women  will  keep  on  nagging  at  a  thing.  I  swear 
to  you  that  I  am  as  certain  as  I  stand  here  there  was  never 
anything  between  them.    Do  let  us  talk  of  something  else." 

They  had  now  wandered  back  to  the  fine  pebbly  beach, 
to  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  pier ;  and  above  the  high 
cliff  they  could  just  see  the  red  chimney-stacks  of  the 
town.  Some  women  were  collecting  their  towels  which  had 
been  left  to  dry  on  the  stones.  A  bathing-machine  offered 
a  convenient  seat. 

"  Let  us  sit  here,"  said  Kate,  seating  herself  on  one  of 
the  sluifts;  "  I'm  a  little  tired." 

Montgomery  placed  himself  beside  her. 

Far  away  beyond  the  wet  stretches  of  sand  and  slimy 
rocks,  beyond  the  shrimp-fishers  and  the  congregating  gulls, 
a  luminous  line  indicated  the  beginning  of  the  sea.  One 
boat  made  a  black  stain  on  the  shimmering  mist  which  rose 
high  into  the  sky  simplyfying  it  to  a  simple  flat  gray  tint. 
The  sun  sank,  a  lilushing  patch  of  light,  and  looking 
through  the  grim  legs  of  the  skeleton  pier,  the  water  lazily 
flapped  to  gold,  the  one  note  of  color  in  this  gray  sea-piece. 
Montgomery  sang  his  waltz  softly  over,  but  before  he  ar- 
rived at  the  second  part  his  thoughts  wandered,  and  he 
said: 

"  Have  you  heard  anything  of  your  husband  since  you 
leftHanley?" 

The  abruptness  of  the  question  made  Kate  start ;  but  she 
was  not  offended,  and  she  answered : 


A  Mummer's  Wife  237 

"  No,  I  haven't.    I  wonder  what  he'll  do  ?  " 

"  Possibly  apply  for  a  divorce.  If  he  does,  you  will  be 
able  to  marry  Dick." 

A  flush  of  pleasure  passed  over  Kate's  face,  and  when  she 
raised  her  eyes  her  look  seemed  to  have  caught  some  of  the 
brightness  of  the  sunset.  But  it  died,  even  as  the  light 
above,  into  gray  gloom,  and  she  said,  sighing: 

"  I  do  not  suppose  he  would  marry  me." 

"  Well,  if  he  wouldn't  there  are  lots  who  would." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Kate  simply. 

"  Oh,  nothing;  only  I  should  think  that  any  one  would  be 
glad  to  marry  you,"  the  young  man  answered,  hoping  fer- 
vidly that  she  would  not  repeat  the  conversation  to  her 
lover. 

"  I  hope  he  will ;  for  if  he  were  to  leave  me,  I  think  I 
should  die.  But  tell  me — you  will,  won't  you  ?  for  you  are 
my  friend,  are  you  not  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so,"  he  replied  constrainedly. 

"  Well,  tell  me  the  truth ;  do  you  think  he  can  be  con- 
stant to  a  woman  ?  Does  he  get  tired  easily  ?  Does  he  like 
change  ?  " 

Kate  laid  her  hand  on  Montgomery's  shoulder,  and  looked 
pleadingly  in  his  face. 

"  Dick  is  an  awful  good  fellow,  and  I'm  sure  he  couldn't 
but  behave  well  to  anyone  he  liked — not  to  say  loved;  and 
I  know  that  he  never  cared  for  anybody  as  he  does  for  you ; 
he  as  much  as  told  me." 

Kate's  smile  was  expressive  of  pleasure  and  weariness, 
and  after  a  pause,  she  said : 

"  I  hope  what  you  say  is  true ;  but  I  don't  think  men  ever 
love  as  women  do.  When  we  give  our  heart  to  one  man,  we 
cannot  love  another.  I  don't  know  why,  but  I  don't  believe 
that  a  man  could  be  quite  faithful  to  a  woman." 

"  That's  all  nonsense.  I'm  sure  that  if  I  loved  a  woman 
it  would  not  occur  to  me  to  think  of  another." 

"  Perhaps  you  might,"  she  answered ;  and,  unconsciously 
comparing  them  with  Dick's  jovial  features,  she  examined 
intently  the  enormous  nose  and  the  hollow,  sunken  cheeks. 
Montgomery  wondered  what  she  was  thinking  of,  and  he 
half  guessed  that  she  was  considering  if  it  were  possible 


228  A  Mummer's  Wife 

that  any  woman  could  care  for  him.  To  die  without  ever 
having  been  able  to  inspire  an  affection  was  a  fear  that  was 
habitual  to  him,  and  often  at  night  he  lay  awake,  racked 
by  the  thought  that  his  ugliness  would  ever  debar  him  from 
attaining  this  dearly  desired  end. 

"  Were  you  ever  in  love  with  anybody  ?  "  she  asked,  after 
a  long  silence. 

"  Yes,  once." 

"  And  did  she  care  for  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  she  did  at  first.  We  used  to  meet  at  dinner 
every  day ;  but  then  she  fell  in  love  with  an  acrobat — I  sup- 
pose you  would  call  him  an  acrobat — I  mean  one  of  those 
gutta-percha  men  who  tie  their  legs  in  a  knot  over  their 
heads.  The  child  was  deformed.  Oh,  I  was  awfully  cut  up 
about  it  at  the  time,  but  it  is  all  over  now." 

The  conversation  then  came  to  a  pause.  Kate  did  not 
like  to  ask  any  further  questions,  but  as  she  stared  vaguely 
at  the  pale  sun  setting,  she  wondered  what  the  acrobat  was 
like,  and  how  a  girl  could  prefer  a  gutta-percha  man  to  the 
musician.  As  the  minutes  passed,  the  silence  grew  more 
irritating,  and  the  evening  colder.  The  sun,  as  it  descended, 
slipped  into  large  flat  masses  of  mist,  from  which  it  peeped 
only  occasionally,  like  a  golden  ghost  or  an  aureoled  face 
at  a  window.  On  the  right,  looking  over  the  pier,  a  deep 
blue  curtain  of  cloud  was  being  drawn  by  the  wind  across 
the  yellow  and  rose-tinted  spaces.  On  the  left  a  sea-fog 
was  gathering,  and  the  high  grass-grown  promontory  from 
whence  they  had  come  was  now  hardly  visible — it  was  mo- 
mentarily disappearing. 

"  I'm  afraid  we  shall  catch  a  chill  if  we  remain  here  much 
longer,"  said  Montgomery,  who  had  again  begun  to  sing 
his  waltz  over. 

"  Yes,  I  think  we  had  better  be  getting  home,"  Kate 
answered  dreamily. 

After  some  searching,  they  found  a  huge  stairway,  cut 
for  the  use  of  bathers  in  the  side  of  the  cliff,  and  up  this 
feet-torturing  path  Montgomery  helped  Kate  carefully  and 
lovingly. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

ROM  Blackpool  Morton  and  Cox's  opera  company- 
proceeded  to  Southport,  and,  still  going  north- 
ward, they  visited  Newcastle,  Durham,  Dundee, 
Glasgow,  and  Edinburgh.  But  in  no  one  town 
did  they  remain  more  than  a  week.  Every  Sunday  morn- 
ing, regardless  as  swallows  of  chiming  church-bells,  they 
met  at  the  station  and  were  whirled  as  fast  as  steam  could 
take  them  to  new  streets,  lodging-houses,  and  theatres.  To 
Kate  this  constant  change  was  at  once  wearying  and  per- 
plexing, and  she  often  feared  that  she  would  never  be  able 
to  habituate  herself  to  her  new  mode  of  life.  But  on  the 
principle  that  we  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be  moving  when 
all  around  is  moving  in  a  like  proportion,  Kate  soon  learned 
to  regard  locality  as  a  mere  nothing,  and  to  fix  her  centre 
of  gravity  in  the  forty  human  beings  who,  bound  to  her  by 
the  light  ties  of  opera  boufi^e,  were  wandering  with  her. 
For  wherever  she  went  her  life  remained  the  same.  She 
saw  the  same  faces,  heard  the  same  words.  Were  they 
likely  to  do  good  business,  was  debated  when  they  got  out  of 
the  train ;  that  they  had  or  had  not  done  good  business  was 
affirmed  when  they  got  into  the  train.  Soon  even  the  change 
of  apartments  ceased  to  astonish  her,  and  she  saw  nothing 
surprising  in  the  fact  that  her  chest  of  drawers  was  one 
week  on  the  right  and  the  following  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  her  bed.  Nor  did  she  notice  after  two  or  three  months 
of  travelling  whether  wax  flowers  did  or  did  not  decorate 
the  corners  of  her  sitting-room,  and  it  seemed  to  her  of 
no  moment  whether  the  Venetian  blinds  were  green  or 
brown.  The  dinners  she  ate  were  as  good  in  one  place  as 
in  another;  the  family  resemblance  which  slaveys  bear  to 
each  other  satisfied  her  eyes,  and  the  difference  of  latitude 
and  longitude  between  Glasgow  and  Aberdeen  she  found 
did  not  in  the  least  alter  her  daily  occupations. 

Montgomery  came  to  see  her  every  morning,  and  the 


230  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tunefulness  or  untunefulness  of  the  piano  was  really  all 
that  reminded  them  of  their  change  of  residence.  From 
twelve  until  three  they  worked  at  music,  both  vocal  and 
instrumental.  During  these  hours  Dick  generally  sought 
for  excuses  to  absent  himself,  but  when  he  returned  he  al- 
ways insisted  that  Montgomery  should  remain  to  dinner. 
All  formalities  between  them  were  abolished,  and  Kate  did 
not  hesitate  to  sit  on  her  lover  s  knees  in  the  presence  of  her 
ungainly  music-master.  But  he  did  not  seem  to  care,  he 
only  laughed  a  little  nervously.  Kate  sometimes  wondered 
if  he  really  disliked  witnessing  such  familiarities.  In  her 
heart  of  hearts  she  was  conscious  that  there  were  affinities 
of  sentiment  between  them,  and  during  the  music  lessons 
they  talked  continually  of  love.  The  sight  of  Montgomery's 
lanky  face  often  interrupted  with  a  feeling  of  repugnance 
the  sweetest  currents  of  emotion,  but  he  could  sympathize 
and  follow  her  where  Dick  could  not.  And  to  lean  her  head 
on  her  hand  and  listen  to  him  playing  were  moments  of 
divine  abandonment  inexpressibly  dear,  and  to  hear  him 
talk  of  the  operas  he  hoped  to  compose  produced  in  her  de- 
lightful sensations  of  enthusiasm.  Few  are  there  to  whom 
anything  but  material  advantages  and  pleasures  are  com- 
prehensible; but  Kate  could  in  a  vague  and  fragmentary 
way  enjoy  what  the  French  call  "  une  jouissance  de  tete." 
And  as  a  plant  that  has  been  dying  for  days  in  a  dark 
cellar,  when  exposed  to  the  air,  will  in  a  sickly  sort  of  gaiety 
lift  up  its  poor  leaves  to  the  light,  this  faculty  which  for 
years  had  been  crushed  out  of  sight  now  l)egan  to  assert 
itself. 

Montgomery  was  as  light  to  Kate,  and  soon  he  became 
almost  as  necessary  to  her  spiritual  happiness  as  her  lover 
was  to  her  material.  He  was  so  kind,  so  gentle,  and  he 
allowed  her  to  talk  to  him  as  much  as  she  liked  of  Dick. 
Indeed  he  seemed  quite  as  much  interested  in  the  subject 
as  she  was.  It  was  always  Dick,  Dick,  Dick.  He  told  her 
anecdotes  concerning  him — how  he  had  acted  certain  parts ; 
how  he  had  stage-managed  certain  pieces ;  of  supper  parties ; 
of  adventures  they  had  been  engaged  in.  These  stories 
amused  Kate,  although  the  odor  of  woman  in  which  they 
were  bathed,  as  in  an  atmosphere,  annoyed  and  troubled 


A  Mummer's  Wife  231 

her.  As  if  to  repay  him  for  his  kindness,  she,  in  her  turn, 
became  confidential,  and  one  day  she  told  him  the  story 
of  her  life.  It  would,  she  said,  were  it  taken  down,  make 
the  most  wonderful  story-book  ever  written.  Beginning  at 
the  beginning,  she  gave  rapidly  an  account  of  her  child- 
hood, accentuating  the  religious  and  severe  manner  in  which 
she  had  been  brought  up,  until  the  time  she  and  her  mother 
made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Edes.  There  it  was  necessary 
to  hesitate.  She  did  not  wish  to  tell  an  absolute  lie,  but 
was  yet  desirous  to  convey  the  impression  that  her  mar- 
riage with  Mr.  Ede  had  been  forced  upon  her;  but  Mont- 
gomery had  already  accepted  it  as  a  foregone  conclusion. 
With  his  fingers  twisted  through  his  hair,  and  his  head 
thrust  forward  in  the  position  in  which  we  are  accustomed 
to  see  composers  seeking  inspiration  depicted,  he  listened, 
passionately  interested ;  and  when  it  came  to  telling  gf  the 
mental  struggle  she  had  gone  through  when  struggling 
between  her  love  for  Dick  and  her  duty  towards  her  hus- 
band, Montgomery's  face,  under  the  influence  of  many 
emotions,  straightened,  and  contracted.  He  asked  a  hun- 
dred questions,  and  was  anxious  to  know  what  she  had 
thought  of  Dick  when  she  saw  him  for  the  first  time.  She 
told  him  all  she  could  remember.  Her  account  of  the  visit 
to  the  potteries  proved  very  amusing,  and  in  fits  of  laughter, 
she  made  Montgomery  swear  he  would  never  breathe  a  word 
before  she  told  him  of  their  fall  amid  the  cups  and  saucers. 

"  Oh,  the  devil !  Was  that  the  way  he  cut  his  legs  ?  He 
told  us  that  he  had  forgotten  his  latchkey,  and  that  he  had 
done  it  in  getting  over  the  garden-wall." 

Eunning  his  hand  over  the  piano,  Montgomery  begged  of 
Kate  to  continue  her  story;  but  as  she  proceeded  with  the 
analysis  of  her  passion  the  events  became  more  and  more 
difficult  to  narrate.  It  was  necessary  to  employ  many 
words  and  many  circumlocutions  of  phrase  to  tell  how  she 
went  down  in  the  one  dark  night  to  open  the  street-door 
to  Dick.  And  yet  it  was  essential  to  do  this  so  that  the 
whole  blame  should  fall  on  him.  She  alluded  vaguely  to 
violence  and  to  force.  Then  Montgomery's  face  darkened 
and  he  protested  against  his  friend's  conduct. 

To  Kate  it  was  consoling  to  meet  some  one  who  thought 


232  A  Mummer's  Wife 

she  was  not  entirely  to  blame,  and  the  conversation  came 
to  a  pause. 

"  And  now  I  am  going  about  the  country  with  you  all, 
and  am  thinking  of  going  on  the  stage." 

"  And  will  be  a  success,  too — that  I'll  bet  my  life." 

"  Do  you  really  think  so?  Do  tell  me  the  real  truth;  do 
you  think  I  shall  ever  be  able  to  sing  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  of  it." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  for  it  is  now  more 
necessary  than  ever." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  Has  anything  fresh  happened  ? 
You  are  not  on  bad  terms  with  Dick,  are  you?    Tell  me." 

"  Oh !  not  the  least !  Dick  is  very  good  to  me ;  but  if  I 
tell  you  something  you  promise  not  to  mention  it?  " 

"  I  promise." 

"  Well,  we  were — I  don't  know  what  you  call  it — sum- 
moned, I  think — by  a  man  before  we  left  Blackpool  to 
appear  in  the  Divorce  Court." 

For  nearly  half  a  minute  they  looked  at  each  other  in 
silence;  then  Montgomery  said — 

"  I  suppose  it  was  after  all  about  the  best  thing  that 
could  happen." 

This  answer  surprised  Kate.  "  Why,"  she  said,  "  do  you 
think  it  is  the  best  thing  that  could  happen  to  me  ?  " 

"  Because  when  you  get  your  divorce  you  will,  if  you 
play  your  cards  well,  be  able  to  get  Dick  to  marry  you." 

Kate  made  no  reply,  and  for  some  time  both  considered 
the  question  in  silence.  She  wondered  if  Dick  loved  her 
sufficiently  to  make  such  a  sacrifice  for  her :  Montgomery 
reflected  on  the  best  means  of  persuading  his  friend  "  to 
do  right  by  the  woman."    At  last  he  said : 

"  But  what  did  you  mean  just  now  when  you  said  that 
it  was  more  necessary  than  ever  that  you  should  go  on  the 
stage  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  only  that  if  I  am  going  to  be  divorced 
I  suppose  I  had  better  see  what  I  can  do  to  get  my  living." 

"Well,  it  isn't  my  fault  if  you  aren't  on  the  stage  already. 
I  have  been  trying  to  induce  you  to  make  up  your  mind  for 
the  last  month  past." 

"  Oh,  the  chorus !  that  horrid  chorus !     I  never  could 


A  Mummer's  Wife  233 

walk  about  before  a  whole  theatreful  of  people  in  those  red 
tights." 

"  What  nonsense  3'ou  do  talk !  There's  nothing  indecent 
in  wearing  tights.  Our  leading  actresses  play  in  travestie. 
In  Faust  Trebelli  Bettini  wears  tights^,  and  no  one^  I'm 
sure,  can  say  anything  against  her." 

Between  the  three,  friend,  mistress,  and  lover,  this  was 
a  constant  subject  of  discussion.  All  sorts  of  arguments 
had  been  adduced,  but  none  of  them  had  shaken  Kate's  un- 
reasoned convictions  on  this  point.  A  sense  of  modesty, 
inherited  through  generations,  rose  to  her  head,  and  a  feel- 
ing of  repugnance,  that  seemed  almost  invincible,  forbade 
her  to  bare  herself  thus  to  the  eyes  of  a  gazing  public.  But 
although  inborn  tendencies  cannot  be  eradicated,  the  will 
that  sustains  them  can  be  broken  by  force  of  circumstances, 
and  when,  at  the  close  of  innumerable  reasonings,  Dick 
declared  that  the  thirty  shillings  a  week  she  would  thus 
earn  would  be  a  real  assistance  to  them,  her  resolutions  be- 
gan to  fail  her.  In  reality  the  manager  had  no  immediate 
need  of  the  money,  but  it  went  against  his  feelings  to  allow 
principles,  and  above  all  principles  he  could  not  but  think 
absurd,  to  stand  in  the  way  of  his  turning  over  a  bit  of 
coin.  Besides,  as  he  said,  "  How  can  I  put  you  into  a  lead- 
ing business  all  at  once?  j^o  matter  how  well  you  knew 
your  words,  you'd  dry  up  when  you  got  before  the  foot- 
lights. You  must  get  over  your  stage  fright  in  the  chorus. 
On  the  first  occasion  I'll  give  you  a  line  to  speak,  then  two 
or  three,  and  then  when  you  have  learned  to  blurt  them  out 
without  hesitation  we'll  see  about  a  part." 

These  and  similar  phrases  were  dinned  into  her  ears, 
until  at  last  the  matter  got  somehow  decided,  and  the  Lon- 
don costumier  was  telegraphed  to  for  a  new  dress.  When 
it  arrived  a  few  days  after,  the  opening  of  the  package 
caused  a  good  deal  of  merriment.  Dick  held  up,  and  before 
Montgomery,  the  long  red  stockings  as  Kate  called  the 
tights.  She  hid  her  face  in  her  hands  and  fled  into  the 
next  room.  But  it  was  too  late  now  to  retract.  The  dress 
looked  beautiful,  and  tempted  on  all  sides,  she  consented 
to  appear  that  night  in  Les  Cloches.  So  at  half-past  six, 
with  her  bundle  under  her  arm,  she  walked  down  to  the 


234  A  Mummer's  Wife 

theatre.  Dick  had  not  allotted  to  her  a  dressing-room,  and 
to  avoid  Miss  Beaumont,  who  was  always  rude,  she  went 
of  her  own  accord  up  to  number  six.  An  old  woman  opened 
the  door  to  her,  and  when  Kate  had  explained  what  she  had 
come  for,  she  said : 

"  Very  well,  ma'am.  I'm  sure  I  don't  mind ;  but  we  are 
already  eight  in  this  room,  and  have  only  one  basin  and 
looking-glass  between  the  lot.  I'm  afraid  you  won't  be 
very  comfortable." 

"  Oh !  that  won't  matter.  It  may  be  only  for  to-night. 
If  I'm  too  much  in  the  way  I'll  ask  Mr.  Lennox  to  put  me 
somewhere  else." 

On  that  Kate  entered.  It  was  a  long,  narrow,  white- 
washed room,  smelling  strongly  of  violet-powder  and 
clothes.  Nobody  had  as  yet  arrived,  and,  awaiting  the 
wearers,  the  dresses  lay  spread  out  on  chairs.  Kate  ex- 
amined, and  involuntarily  she  calculated  that  she  would 
not  be  able  to  take  an  order  for  a  costume  like  the  one 
before  her  for  less  than  four  pounds.  It  was  one 
of  the  peasant-girls'  dresses — a  short  calico  skirt, 
trimmed  with  wreaths  of  wild  flowers.  She  thought 
it  charming,  and  she  expressed  her  regret  that  she  could 
not  exchange  the  page's  attire  she  was  being  shown  how 
to  put  on  for  one  of  the  others.  These  opinions  were  con- 
sidered surprising  by  the  dresser,  who  informed  Kate  that 
the  ladies  generally  preferred  men's  clothes  to  women's. 

"  And  as  regards  the  tights,"  added  the  old  woman, 
"you'd  have  to  wear  them  just  as  well  with  peasant-girls' 
frocks  as  with  these  trunks,  for  the  skirts,  as  you  can  see, 
only  just  come  below  the  knees." 

At  this  moment  the  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the 
clattering  of  feet  on  the  rickety  staircase.  Immediately 
after  the  door  was  suddenly  opened,  and  with  loud  words 
two  girls  entered.  Kate  had  often  spoken  to  them  in  the 
wings,  and  when  a  few  questions  had  been  asked  she  was 
surprised  to  find  that  her  determination  to  go  on  the  stage 
elicited  no  other  remark  than  that  it  was  odd  she  hadn't 
got  tired  of  sitting  at  home  long  ago. 

Then  more  women  arrived,  and  a  general  stripping  be- 
gan.    Bosoms  and  raised  arms  glistened,  making  a  faint 


A  Mummer's  Wife  235 

note  of  pink  on  the  pallor  of  the  whitewashed  wall ;  water 
was  heard  splashing,  and  the  flat,  sickly  smell  of  soap- 
suds filled  the  heated  air.  Three  voices  shouted  at  once  for 
the  dresser,  who  had  begun  to  lose  her  head.  One  lady 
could  not  find  her  tights,  another  insisted  on  the  body  of 
her  dress  being  laced  up  at  once,  the  third  failed  to  make 
herself  understood.  The  looking-glass  was  in  great  requisi- 
tion, and  a  girl  who  was  still  in  her  chemise  quarrelled 
furiously  with  another  attired  in  breastplate  and  helmet. 
But  these  comical  contrasts  could  not  take  away  the  animal 
repulsiveness  of  the  scene. 

At  once  horrified  and  bewildered,  Kate  withdrew  her 
chair  as  far  out  of  reach  as  possible  of  the  flying  petticoats 
and  the  scattered  boots  and  shoes.  She  hated  everything, 
and,  much  as  she  feared  the  inspection  of  her  person  that 
would  take  place  when  she  got  downstairs,  she  was  glad 
when  the  call-boy  knocked  at  the  door  and  shouted — 

"  Ladies !  ladies !  Mr.  Lennox  is  waiting ;  the  curtain  is 
going  up." 

"  All  right !  all  right !  "  cried  an  octave  of  treble  voices, 
and  those  who  were  ready,  tripping  over  their  swords, 
hurried  downstairs,  leaving  the  others  screaming  at  the 
dresser,  who  was  vainly  attempting  to  tidy  the  room. 

When  Kate  got  on  the  stage  the  first  person  she  saw  was 
the  very  one  she  wished  most  to  avoid — Montgomery.  After 
having  conducted  the  overture  he  had  come  up  to  find  out 
the  reason  of  the  "  wait."  Dick  was  rushing  about,  de- 
claring that  if  this  ever  occurred  again  half-a-crown  would 
be  stopped  out  of  all  the  salaries.  The  noise  in  front  was 
deafening. 

"  Oh !  how  very  nice  we  look !  and  they  are  not  a  bit 
thin,"  exclaimed  Montgomery,  pushing  his  glasses  up  on 
his  nose ;  and,  forgetting  his  difficulties  as  if  by  magic, 
Dick  smiled  delightfully,  and,  holding  her  at  arm's  length, 
he  looked  at  her  critically  all  over. 

"  Charming,  my  dear !  There  won't  be  a  man  in  front 
who  won't  fall  in  love  with  you.  But  I  must  see  where  I 
can  place  you." 

All  the  rest  passed  as  rapidly  as  in  a  dream,  and  before 
she  could  again  think  distinctly  she  was  walking  round  the 


236  A  Mummer's  Wife 

stage  in  the  company  of  a  score  of  other  girls.  Treading 
in  time  to  the  music,  they  formed  themselves  into  lines, 
making  place  for  Leslie,  who  came  running  down  to  the 
footlights.  But  Kate  had  neither  ears  nor  eyes  for  any- 
thing. She  felt  that  everyone  was  gazing  at  her.  One  old 
gentleman  in  a  box  annoyed  her  excessively ;  with  his  opera- 
glasses  fixed  upon  her  he  remained  immovable.  Twenty 
iimes  she  asked  herself  when  he  would  look  the  other  way, 
and  she  sought  for  a  position  in  which  he  would  not  be 
able  to  see  her  face.  Then,  remembering  that  it  was  pos- 
sibly only  her  legs  that  interested  him,  from  very  shame 
she  grew  nervous.  Once  she  caught  Montgomery's  eyes, 
and  not  knowing  what  was  passing  in  her  mind,  he  laughed. 
She  hated  him  for  it.  But  soon  the  cue  for  an  exit  came, 
and  they  were  marched  into  the  wings.  There  she  was 
jostled  and  stared  at,  and  she  remembered,  and  with  anger, 
how  disgusting  all  these  women  had  seemed  to  her  when 
she  stood  behind  the  scenes  for  the  first  time.  Now  she  was 
one  of  them. 

These  were,  however,  rare  moments;  there  was  no  time 
for  thinking;  she  was  whirled  along.  Between  the  acts 
she  had  to  rush  upstairs  to  put  on  another  dress;  between 
the  scenes  she  had  to  watch  to  know  when  she  had  to  go  on. 
Sometimes  Dick  spoke  to  her,  but  he  was  generally  far 
away,  and  it  was  not  until  the  curtain  had  been  rung  down 
for  the  last  time  that  she  got  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
to  him. 

As  they  walked  home  up  the  dark  street  when  all  was 
over,  she  laid  her  hand  affectionately  on  his  arm — 

"  Tell  me,  Dick,  are  you  satisfied  with  me  ?  I  have  done 
my  best  to  please  you." 

"  Satisfied  with  you  ? "  replied  the  big  man,  turning 
towards  her  in  his  kind,  unctuous  way,  "  I  should  think  so ; 
you  looked  lovely,  and  your  voice  was  heard  above  every- 
body's. I  wish  you  had  heard  what  Montgomery  said.  I'll 
give  you  a  line  to  speak  when  you  have  got  a  bit  of  con- 
fidence.   You  are  a  bit  timid,  that's  all." 

These  words  of  praise  from  the  man  she  loved  brought 
the  color  to  Kate's  face.  It  had  been  her  intention  to  ask 
him  to  allow  her  to  give  up  the  idea  of  accepting  the  stage 


A  Mummer's  Wife  237 

as  a  vocation^,  but  now,  through  mingled  feelings  of  vanity 
and  dislike  to  interrupt  the  peace  and  pleasure  of  the  mo- 
ment, she  maintained  a  silence  that  grew  momentarily 
more  cowardly  and  uneasy.  Above  all  things,  she  did  not 
wish  to  annoy,  to  disappoint  him,  and  when  he  spoke  of  the 
time  when  she  would  be  a  leading  actress,  she  listened  de- 
lighted, imagining  not  the  plaudits  of  the  public,  but  the 
illimitable  love  he  would  bestow  upon  her  when  she  had 
achieved  the  successes  he  had  so  glowingly  depicted.  And 
of  these  he  spoke  until  the  early  hours  of  morning.  Dick 
was  as  insatiable  a  talker  as  he  was  an  eater,  and  when  the 
cold  meat  had  been  devoured,  lying  back  in  an  armchair, 
smoking  interminable  cigarettes,  he  recounted  his  opera 
bouffe  adventures.  They  appeared  to  be  inexhaustible, 
and  by  easy  transitions  he  passed  from  one  story  to  another. 
At  one  moment  he  was  telling  of  how  he  found  himself, 
when  he  had  the  Olympic  Theatre  in  London,  two  days 
before  the  opening  night,  unable  to  pay  the  gas.  At  such 
times  the  difficulties  of  raising  a  hundred  quid  are  im- 
mense, and  the  conditions  of  the  capitalist  were — that  his 
mistress  was  to  play  one  of  the  leading  parts  at  a  high 
salary^  and  that  he  was  to  take  over  the  bars.  That  was 
thirty  pounds  a  week  gone;  and  the  woman  sang  so  fear- 
fully out  of  tune  that  she  got  hissed,  and  that  settled  the 
piece,  Kate  clasped  her  hands,  but  Dick  puffed  at  his 
cigarette,  interested  only  to  know  if  it  were  still  alight. 
Once  being  assured  on  this  point,  he  proceeded  without 
delay  to  sing  most  of  the  principal  airs  and  choruses  and 
explain  the  different  situations.  A  casual  reference  to  the 
dresses  led  up  to  a  detailed  account  of  how  he  had  bought 
the  satin  down  at  the  Docks  at  the  extraordinary  low 
price  of  two  shillings  a  yard.  This  in  turn  prepared  the 
way  for  a  long  story  concerning  a  girl  who  had  worn  one  of 
these  identical  dresses.  She  was  now  a  leading  London 
actress,  and  every  step  of  her  upward  career  was  gone 

into.     Then  followed  several  biographies.     Charlie  

sang  in  the  chorus.     He  was  now  a  leading  tenor.     Miss 

had  married  a  rich  man  on  the  Stock  Exchange;  and 

so  on.  Indeed,  everybody  in  that  ill-fated  piece  seemed  to 
have  succeeded  except  the  manager  himself.    But  no  such 


238  A  Mummer's  Wife 

criticism  occurred  to  Kate.  Her  heart  was  swollen  with 
admiration  for  the  man  who  had  been  once  at  the  head  of 
all  this  talent,  and  the  rich-colored  future  he  would  shape 
for  her  flowed  hazily  through  her  mind.  She  grew,  as  it 
were,  a  little  drunk  with  stories,  and  laying  her  hand  on 
his,  all  suffering  and  past  sorrow  slipped  from  her  in  sensa- 
tions that  were  calm  and  benedictive.  Never  had  an  even- 
ing appeared  to  her  so  thorough,  so  complete,  and  she 
looked  down  an  endless  perspective  of  similar  evenings 
spent  listening  by  his  side — evenings  in  which  the  quietude 
should  never  be  broken  except  by  the  sound  of  a  kiss  or  the 
striking  of  a  match  wherewith  to  light  a  fresh  cigarette. 

And  as  the  days  passed,  Kate  grew  happier,  until  she 
began  to  think  she  must  be  the  happiest  woman  living. 
Her  life  had  now  an  occupation,  and  no  hour  that  went 
pressed  upon  her  heavier  than  would  a  butterfly's  wing. 
The  mornings  had  always  been  delightful;  Dick  was  with 
her  then,  and  the  afternoons  had  been  taken  up  with  her 
musical  studies.  It  was  the  long  evenings  she  used  to 
dread;  now  they  had  become  part  and  parcel  of  her  daily 
pleasures.  They  dined  about  four,  and  when  dinner  was 
over  it  was  time  to  talk  about  what  kind  of  house  they  were 
going  to  have,  to  fidget  about  in  search  of  brushes  and 
combs,  the  curling-tongs,  and  to  consider  what  little  neces- 
saries she  had  better  bring  down  to  the  theatre  with  her. 
At  first  it  seemed  very  strange  to  her  to  go  tripping  down 
these  narrow  streets  at  a  certain  hour — streets  that  were 
filled  with  people,  for  the  stage  and  the  pit  entrance  are 
always  within  a  few  yards  of  each  other. 

Very  soon  now  touches  of  Bohemianism  appeared  in  her. 
Her  face  lost  its  meekness  of  expression,  her  walk  became 
more  undulating  and  lazy;  and  the  passers-by  whispered 
as  she  went  by,  "  She's  one  of  the  actresses."  The  first 
time  she  heard  the  words  she  grew  frightened,  but  her  fear 
soon  subsided,  and  nervously  she  wondered  what  they 
thought  of  her  as  she  hurried  from  them  towards  the  stage. 
Once  safely  there  she  often  turned  round  to  look,  and 
hoped  as  she  gave  her  name  to  the  hall-keeper  that  they 
admired  her  sufficiently  to  come  to  the  theatre  to  see  her. 
One  day  she  found  a  letter  waiting  for  her,  and  not  sus- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  239 

pecting  what  was  in  it,  she  tore  open  the  envelope  in  pres- 
ence of  half-a-dozen  chorus  girls  wlio  had  collected  in  the 
passage.  A  diamond  ring  fell  on  the  floor,  and  in  astonish- 
ment Kate  read : 

"Dear  Miss  D'Arcv, — In  recognition  of  your  beauty  and  the 
graceful  way  in  which  you  play  your  part,  I  beg  to  enclose  you  a 
ring,  which  I  hope  to  see  on  your  finger  to-night.  If  you  wear  it  on 
the  right  hand  I  shall  understand  that  you  will  allow  me  to  wait  for 
you  at  the  stage-door.  If,  however,  you  decide  that  my  little  olt'ering 
suits  better  your  left  hand,  I  shall  understand  that  I  am  unfortunate. 

(Signed)  "An  Admirer." 

"  Who  left  this  here  ?  "  asked  Kate  of  the  doorkeeper. 

"  A  tall  young  gent — a  London  man  I  should  think  by 
the  cut  of  him,  but  he  left  no  name." 

"  A  very  pretty  ring,  anyhow,"  said  a  girl  picking  it  up. 

"  Not  bad,"  said  another ;  "  I  got  one  like  it  last  year  at 
Sheffield." 

"  But  what  shall  I  do  with  it  ?  "  asked  Kate. 

"  Why,  wear  it,  of  course,"  answered  two  or  three  voices 
simultaneously. 

This  very  simple  way  of  settling  the  difficulty  horrified 
her,  and  feeling  very  much  like  one  in  possession  of  stolen 
goods,  she  hurried  on  to  the  stage,  intending  to  ask  Dick 
what  she  was  to  do.  She  found  him  disputing  with  the 
property-man.  Throwing  herself  between  them,  and  draw- 
ing her  lover  by  main  force  away,  she  begged  of  him  to  ad- 
vise her.  But  it  was  some  time  before  Dick  could  bring 
himself  to  forget  the  annoyance  that  a  scarcity  of  daggers 
had  occasioned  him.  At  last,  however,  with  a  violent  effort 
of  will,  he  took  the  note  from  her  hand  and  read  it  through. 
When  he  had  mastered  its  contents  a  good-natured  smile 
illumined  his  chub-cheeked  face,  and  he  said: 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  to  say  ?  I  think  the  ring  a 
very  nice  one ;  let's  see  how  it  looks  on  your  hand." 

She  felt  as  if  her  life  was  sinking  away  from  her.  Was 
this  all?  Was  there  then  nothing  wrong  or  right  in  the 
world?  she  asked  herself,  feebly. 

"  You  don't  mean,  do  you,  that  I  am  to  wear  it?  " 

"■  And  why  not  ?  I  think  it  is  a  very  nice  ring,"  said  the 
manager,  unaffectedly. 


S40  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Why  not,  indeed  ?  "  she  murmured  to  herself,  and  so 
stunned  was  she  that  in  her  bewilderment  she  would  have 
asked  him  on  which  hand  she  was  to  wear  it  had  he  not 
said  : 

"  Wear  it  first  on  one  hand  and  then  on  the  other,  dear ; 
that  will  puzzle  him." 

"  But  supposing  he  comes  to  meet  me  at  the  stage  door  ?  " 

"Well,  what  will  that  matter?  We'll  go  out  together; 
I'll  see  that  he  keeps  his  distance." 

Kelieved  to  find  that  there  was  a  point  which  she  was  not 
asked  to  pass,  she  went  up  to  the  dressing-room.  A  volley 
of  questions  greeted  her.  Most  of  the  girls  were  undressed. 
Dolly  Goddard  was  M^alking  about  in  a  pair  of  blue  silk 
stockings.  Obeying  an  instinct  of  shame  which  habit  did 
not  seem  able  to  destroy,  Kate  started  as  if  she  were  about 
to  retreat. 

"  Now  then,  come  in,  don't  be  shocked,"  cried  Dolly ; 
"you  are  as  bashful  as  an  undergraduate." 

A  roar  of  laughter  greeted  this  sally,  and,  humiliated, 
she  began  to  dress. 

"  You  haven't  heard  Dolly's  story  of  the  undergradu- 
ate ?  "  shouted  a  girl  from  the  other  end  of  the  room. 

"  No,  and  don't  want  to,"  replied  Kate,  indignantly. 
"  The  conversation  in  this  room  is  perfectly  horrible.  I 
shall  ask  Mr.  Lennox  to  change  me.  And  really,  Miss 
Goddard,  I  think  you  might  manage  to  dress  yourself  with 
a  little  more  decency." 

"  Well,  if  you  call  this  dress,"  exclaimed  Dolly,  fanning 
herself,  "  I  suppose  one  must  take  off  one's  stockings  to 
please  you.    You  are  as  bad  as " 

Dolly  was  the  wit  of  No.  6  dressing-room,  and  having 
obtained  her  laugh  she  sought  to  conciliate  Kate.  To 
achieve  this  she  began  by  putting  on  her  tights. 

"  Now,  Mrs.  Lennox,"  she  said,  "  don't  be  angry ;  if  I 
have  a  good  figure  I  can't  help  it.  And  I  do  want  to  hear 
about  the  diamond  ring." 

This  was  said  so  quaintly,  so,  what  the  Americans  would 
call  cunningly,  that  Kate  couldn't  help  smiling  through 
her  anger,  and  abandoning  her  hand  she  allowed  Dolly  to 
examine  the  ring. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  Ml 

"  I  never  saw  anything  prettier  in  my  life.  It  wasn't  an 
undergra —  ?  "  said  the  girl,  who  was  a  low  comedian  at 
heart  and  knew  the  value  of  repetition.  "  I  must  drink  to 
his  health.     Who  has  any  liquor  ?     Have  you,  Vincent  ?  " 

"  Just  a  drain  left,"  said  a  fat  girl,  pulling  a  flat  bottle 
out  of  a  dirty  black  skirt,  "  but  I'm  going  to  keep  it  for  ihe 
end  of  the  second  act." 

"  Selfishness  will  be  your  ruin,"  said  Dolly.  "  Let's 
subscribe  to  drink  the  gentleman's  health,"  she  added, 
winking  at  the  bevy  of  damsels  who  stood  waiting,  their 
hands  on  their  hips.  It  being  impossible  for  Kate  to  mis- 
understand what  was  expected  of  her  she  said — 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  stand  treat.    What  shall  it  be  ?  " 

This  was  a  difficult  matter  to  decide.  Some  were  in 
favor  of  brandy,  some  of  gin.  Eventually  it  was  agreed 
that  they  could  not  do  better  than  a  bottle  of  whiskey.  The 
decrepit  dresser  was  given  the  money,  with  strict  injunc- 
tions from  Dolly  not  to  uncork  the  bottle.  "  We  can  do 
that  ourselves,"  the  girl  added,  facetiously.  And  until 
the  arrival  of  the  liquor  a  noisy  interest  was  manifested 
in  the  ring,  the  sender,  and  the  letter.  Kate  told  what  Dick 
had  advised  her  to  do,  and  Dolly  spoke  authoritatively  on 
the  invariable  line  of  conduct  pursued  by  Beaumont  in 
such  cases.  But  this  clatter  and  talk  did  not  silence  Kate's 
qualms  of  conscionce.  The  method  of  an  antecedent  life, 
the  teaching  of  years,  rose  in  revolution  and  denied  her 
right  to  act  thus.  For  a  moment  a  sense  of  shame,  bitter 
and  blinding  as  a  wild  salt  wind,  overwhelmed  her,  and 
she  could  not  repress  a  positive  loathing  of  herself.  Since 
she  had  left  Hanley  it  was  the  strongest  shock  her  moral 
nature  had  received.  Vainly  she  searched  for  an  excuse, 
but  could  find  none.  It  was  not  until  she  had  drunk  a 
couple  of  whiskeys  that  she  began  to  forget  and  find  cour- 
age to  laugh  at  Dolly's  dirty  stories.  The  number  of 
glasses  was  not  sufficient,  but  that  did  not  matter,  and  the 
merriment  did  not  cease  until  the  call-boy  was  heard  cry- 
ing, "  Ladies,  ladies !  Mr.  Lennox  is  waiting  on  the  stage." 
Then  there  was  a  scramble  for  the  glass  and  the  dresser, 
and  Dolly's  voice  was  heard  screaming — 

"  Now  then,  Mother  Hubbard,  have  you  got  the  sweet- 
16 


242  A  Mummer's  Wife 

stuff  I  told  3'ou  to  get?  I  don't  want  to  go  downstairs 
stinking  of  raw  spirit." 

"  I  couldn't  get  any,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  but  I 
brought  two  slices  of  bread ;  that'll  do  as  well." 

"  You're  a  knowing  old  card,"  said  Dolly.  "  Eat  a 
mouthful  or  two,  it'll  take  the  smell  off,  Mrs.  Lennox. 
But  I'm  afraid  you've  had  a  drop  too  much.  You  aren't 
used  to  it.     Open  the  window.  Mother  Hubbard." 

"  It  is  the  heat,"  answered  Kate  faintly.  "  I  shall  be  all 
right  in  a  minute." 

"  For  goodness  sake,  do.  Mr.  Lennox  will  kick  up  such 
a  row  with  me  should  he  find  it  out.  Eat  another  piece 
of  bread  if  you  can,  there's  nothing  like  it." 

At  present  Kate  was  only  a  little  giddy,  but  when  she 
got  on  the  stage,  with  the  fumes  of  the  gas,  a  vague  sickness 
mounted  to  her  head.  Montgomery's  arms,  as  he  beat  time 
in  the  orchestra,  seemed  to  her  of  immeasurable  length, 
and  the  auditorium  reeled,  a  confused  mixture  of  lights 
and  black  spots.  The  music  sounded  in  her  ears  like  some 
harsh  cruelty,  and  at  times  the  voices  of  those  singing 
round  her  became  as  unmerciful  as  the  howling  of  demons 
mocking  her  out  of  the  depths  of  some  meaningless  night- 
mare. Each  clash  of  the  cymbals  seemed  more  pitiless  than 
the  last,  and  she  had  at  last  to  stagger  into  the  wings  and 
ask  for  a  glass  of  water.  Fortunately,  Dick  was  on  the 
0.  P.  side,  and  did  not  notice  her  absence,  and  beyond 
some  sly  laughs  and  whispering  among  the  girls,  the  acci- 
dent attracted  no  attention.  Whether  she  wore  the  ring 
on  her  left  or  on  her  right  hand  slie  had  no  idea,  and  when 
Dick  asked  during  their  walk  home  if  she  had  noticed  any- 
one watching  her  from  a  stage-box,  she  could  give  no 
answer.  But  it  mattered  little ;  a  few  days  later  she  was 
a  hundred  miles  away,  playing  to  new  faces  and  attracting 
fresh  admirations.  The  incident  consequent  to  a  theatrical 
career  was  soon  blunted  and  its  identity  submerged  in  a 
thousand  other  events,  and  the  most  lasting  trace  it  left 
was  the  ambition  to  become  an  actress.  The  phrase  of  the 
letter  Mdiich  complimented  her  on  the  graceful  way  in 
which  she  went  through  her  part  remained  in  Kate's  mind, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  243 

and  henceforth  she  did  not  cease  to  beg  of  Dick  to  give  lier 
"  something  to  do.'' 

It  is  extraordinary  to  see  how  quickly  a  lady  gets  on  in 
her  profession  when  she  has  convinced  the  heads  of  the 
departments  of  her  talents  or  her  beauty.  The  way  in 
which  subordinate  parts  are  discovered  that  would  just 
suit  her  is  surprising.  To  this  principle  Dick  and  Mont- 
gomery proved  no  exceptions.  Soon  it  became  apparent 
that  the  first  scene  in  Les  Cloches  played  very  short,  a  few 
extra  lines  written  into  it  to  be  spoken  by  one  of  the  girls 
would  improve  it  vastly.  The  scrijo  was  obtained  from  the 
prompter,  Montgomery  invited  to  supper,  and  until  three 
in  the  morning  he  and  Dick  collaborated.  Kate  sat  in  the 
armchair  and  wondered. 

What  can  she  say  to  the  Baillie?  The  scene  is  the  sea- 
shore near  Corneville ;  they  are  on  their  way  to  the  market. 

"  Supposing  she  said  something  like  this,  eh  ?  '  Mr. 
Baillie,  do  you  like  brown  eyes  and  cherry  lips  ? '  And 
then  another  would  reply,  '  Cherry  brandy  most  like.' " 

"  No,  I  don't  think  the  public — you  must  remember  we 
are  not  playing  to  a  London  public — would  see  the  point. 
I  think  we'd  better  have  something  broader." 

"Well,  what?" 

"  Well,  you  remember  the  scene  in  Chilperic  when " 

In  the  explanation  of  the  scene  in  Chilperic  the  conver- 
sation wandered,  and  Mr.  Diprose's  version  of  the  piece  and 
his  usual  vile  taste  in  the  stage  management  severely  com- 
mented on.  In  such  pleasant  discussion  an  hour  was  agre.e- 
ably  spent;  but  at  last  the  sudden  extinguishing  of  a 
cigarette  reminded  them  that  they  had  met  for  the  pur- 
pose of  writing  some  dialogue.  After  a  long  silence  Dick 
said — 

"  Supposing  she  were  to  say,  '  Mr.  Baillie,  5''ou  have  a 
fine  head.'  You  know  I  want  something  she'd  get  a  laugh 
with." 

"  If  she  said  the  truth,  she'd  say  a  fat  head,"  replied 
Montgomery  with  a  laugh. 

"  And  why  shouldn't  she  ?  That's  the  very  thing.  She's 
sure  to  get  a  laugh  with  that — '  Mr.  Baillie,  you  have  a 


244  A  Mummer's  Wife 

fat  head/  Let's  get  that  down  first.  But  what  shall  she 
say  after  ?  " 

Here  both  authors  came  to  an  embarrassing  pause,  and 
in  silence  they  ransacked  their  memories  of  all  the  opera 
bouffes  they  had  seen  for  a  joke  which  could  be  fitted  to 
the  one  they  had  just  discovered. 

After  some  five  minutes  of  deep  consideration,  Dick, 
wearied  by  the  unaccustomed  mental  strain  put  upon  his 
mind,  said : 

"  Do  you  know  the  music  of  Trone  D'Ecosse?  Devilish 
good.  If  the  book  had  been  better  it  would  have  been  a  big 
success.^' 

"  The  waltz  is  about  the  prettiest  thing  Herve  has  done." 

This  expression  of  opinion  led  up  to  an  animated  discus- 
sion, in  which  the  rival  claims  of  Herve  and  Planquette 
were  forcil)ly  argued.  Many  cigarettes  were  smoked,  and 
not  until  the  packet  was  emptied  did  it  occur  to  them  that, 
up  to  the  present,  only  one  "  wheeze  "  had  been  found. 

"  I  never  can  do  anything  without  a  cigarette ;  do  try  to 
find  me  one  in  the  next  room,  Kate,  dear.  Listen,  Mont- 
gomery, we  have  got  '  Baillie,  you've  a  fat  head.'  That'll 
do  very  well  for  a  beginning;  but  I'm  not  good  at  finding 
wheezes." 

"  And  then  I  can  say,  '  Baillie,  you've  a  fine  head,'  "  said 
Kate,  who  had  been  listening  dreamily  for  a  long  time, 
afraid  to  interrupt. 

"  Not  a  bad  idea,"  said  Dick.    "  Let's  get  it  down." 

"  And  then,"  screamed  Montgomery,  as  he  perched  both 
his  long  legs  over  the  arm  of  his  chair,  "  she  can  say,  '  I 
mean  a  great  head,  Mr.  Baillie.' " 

For  a  moment  Dick's  eyes  flashed  with  the  light  of  ad- 
miration, and  he  seemed  to  be  considering  if  it  were  not  his 
duty  to  advise  the  conductor  that  his  talents  lay  in  dialogue 
rather  than  in  music.  But  his  sentiments,  whatever  they 
may  have  been,  disappeared  in  the  l)urst  of  inspiration  he 
had  been  waiting  for  so  long. 

"  We  can  go  through  the  whole  list  of  heads,"  he  ex- 
claimed triumphantly.  "  Fat  head,  fine  head,  broad  head, 
thick  head,  massive  head — yes,  massive  head.  The  Baillie 
will  appear  pleased  at  that,  and  will  repeat  the  phrase,  and 


A  Mummer's  Wife  245 

then  she  will  say  '  Dunder  head ! '  He'll  get  angry,  and  she 
will  run  away.  That  will  make  a  splendid  exit — she'll  exit 
to  a  roar." 

Kate  raised  and  cast  down  her  brown  eyes  softly,  and 
her  heart  was  filled  with  a  mixed  sense  of  admiration  and 
wonder.  It  seemed  to  her  extraordinary  that  a  man  should 
do  so  much,  and  for  her. 

Dick  noted  down  the  phrases  on  a  piece  of  paper,  to  be 
pasted  afterwards  into  the  scrip.  When  this  was  done,  he 
said: 

"  My  dear,  if  you  don't  get  a  roar  with  these  lines,  you 

can  call  me  a And  when  we  play  the  piece  at  Hull,  I 

shouldn't  be  surprised  if  you  got  noticed  in  the  papers. 
But  you  must  pluck  up  courage  and  cheek  the  Baillie." 

Kate  said  nothing,  but  she  felt  unutterable  things,  and 
a  vision  of  greatness  assuaged  the  suspicion  that  too  much 
was  being  asked  of  her. 

"  We  must  put  up  a  rehearsal-call  to-morrow  for  these 
lines.    Now  listen,  Montgomery,  and  tell  me  how  it  reads." 


CHAPTEE   XV. 


m 


PEHEAESAL  to-morrow  at  twelve  for  all  those  in 
the  front  scene  of  the  Cloches/'  cried  the  stage- 
door  keeper  to  half-a-dozen  girls  as  they  pushed 
past  him. 

"  Well  I  never,  and  I  was  going  out  to  see  the  castle  and 
the  ramparts  of  the  town/'  said  one  girl. 

"  I  wonder  what  it's  for/'  said  another ;  "  it  went  all 
right,  I  thought — didn't  you?  Did  you  hear  any  reason, 
Mr.  Brown  ?  " 

"  I  'ear  there  are  to  he  new  lines  put  in/'  replied  the 
stage-door  keeper,  surlily,  "  hut  I  don't  know.  Don't 
bother." 

At  the  mention  of  the  new  lines  the  faces  of  the  girls 
brightened,  but  instantly  they  strove  to  hide  the  hope  and 
anxiety  the  announcement  had  caused  them,  and  in  the 
silence  which  ensued  each  tried  to  think  how  she  could  get 
a  word  with  Mr.  Lennox.  At  length  one  more  enterpris- 
ing than  the  rest  said : 

"  I  must  run  back.     I've  forgotten  my  handkerchief." 

"  You  needn't  mind  your  handkerchief,  you  won't  see 
Mr.  Lennox  to-night,"  exclaimed  Dolly,  who  always 
trampled  on  other  people's  illusions  as  readily  as  she  did 
on  her  own. 

The  brutality  of  the  answer  caused  a  titter,  but  it  soon 
subsided,  everybody  being  anxious  to  hear  the  news,  for 
Dolly's  tone  of  voice  intimated  that  she  knew  what  was 
going  to  happen.  Dispelling  the  angry  look  from  the  face 
of  the  girl  she  had  attacked  by  putting  her  arm  affection- 
ately round  her  shoulder,  Dolly  continued : 

"  The  lines  are  not  for  you,  nor  me,  nor  any  of  us.  You 
little  silly,  can't  you  see  who  they  are  for?  Why,  for  his 
girl,  of  course !  " 

Murmurs  of  assent  followed  this  statement,  and,  her 
hands  on  her  hips,  Dolly  triumphantly  faced  her  auditors. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  247 

"  I  know  it  is  damned  hard  lines,  but  there  it  is.  You 
didn't  expect  the  man  to  take  her  out  of  her  linendrapery 
for  nothing.  You  take  my  word  for  it,  she'll  get  on  now 
like  a  house  on  fire." 

The  old  stage-door  keeper,  whose  attention  had  been  con- 
centrated on  what  he  was  eating  out  of  a  jam-pot,  now 
suddenly  woke  up  to  the  fact  that  the  passage  was  blocked, 
and  that  a  group  of  musicians  with  boxes  in  their  hands 
were  waiting  to  get  through. 

"  Now,  ladies,  I  must  ask  you  to  move  on,  there  are  a  lot 
of  people  behind  you." 

"  Yes,  get  on,  girls ;  we're  all  up  a  tree  this  time,  and 
the  moral  of  it  is  that  we  haven't  yet  learned  how  to  fall  in 
love  with  the  managers.  The  paper-collar  woman  has 
beaten  us  at  our  own  game." 

A  roar  of  laughter  followed  this  remark,  which  was 
heard  by  everybody,  and  pushing  the  girls  before  her  Dolly 
cleared  the  way. 

Notwithstanding  her  distaste  for,  her  determined  opposi- 
tion to  the  dirty  stories  told  in  the  dressing-room,  and  her 
continued  refusal  to  contribute  an  item  of  information  to 
the  eternal  question  of  "  Who  was  the  nicest  man  you  ever 
knew  ?  "  Kate's  quiet  and  unmarked  character  had  made  her 
a  general  favorite.  Except  on  the  point  above  mentioned, 
she  inclined  easily  to  everybody's  whims  and  foibles;  she 
appeared  ever  ready  to  oblige,  and  she  made  no  disagreeable 
remarks.  At  first,  it  is  true,  her  pretty  face  caused  some 
cruel  bickerings,  but  the  unassuming  way  in  which  she 
rather  repudiated  than  accepted  admiration  softened  the 
acidity  of  feminine  jealousies,  and  the  fact  that  she  was 
not  ill-looking  finished  by  being  gracefully  accepted.  She, 
moreover,  was  possessed  of  the  soft,  weak  features  that 
women  invariably  admire  in  their  own  sex.  This  was 
another  recommendation  in  her  favor,  and  as  she  never 
interfered  with  any  of  the  men  who  came  about  the  theatre, 
it  had  become  the  fashion,  when  the  question  was  mooted, 
as  to  who  could  be  called  a  really  pretty  woman,  to  cite 
Kate  as  an  example.  But  she  now  found  that  she  had 
jeopardized  her  popularity  by  accepting  the  small  part  of 
Jeanne.     These  girls,  whose  ambitions  in  life  are  limited. 


248  A  Mummer's  Wife 

first  to  obtaining  a  line — that  is  to  say,  permission  to  shout, 
in  their  red  tights,  when  a  low  comedian  appears  on  the 
stage,  "  Oh,  what  a  jolly  good  fellow  the  Duke  is !  " — sec- 
ondly, to  being  asked  out  to  dinner  by  somebody  they 
imagine  looks  like  a  gentleman,  revolted  against  hearing 
this  paper-collar  woman,  as  they  now  called  her,  speak  the 
long-dreamed-of,  long-descried  phrases;  and  at  night  all 
they  dared  do  they  did  to  "  queer "  her  scene.  They 
crowded  round  her,  mugged,  and  tried  to  divert  the  atten- 
tion of  the  house  from  her.  She  had  to  say,  "  Mr.  Baillie, 
you've  a  fine  head."  Baillie,  patting  his  crown — "  Yes,  a 
fine  head."  Kaie — "  A  fat  head."  Buillie,  indignantly — 
"  A  fat  head  !  "  Kate,  hurriedly — "  I  mean  a  broad  head." 
Baillie — "  Yes,  a  broad  head."  Kate — "  A  thick  head." 
Baillie,  indignantly — "  A  thick  head  !  "  Kate — "  No,  no ; 
a  solid  head,"  and  so  on  ad  Uh.  for  ten  minutes. 

The  scene  went  enormously.  The  pit  screamed,  and  the 
gallery  was  in  convulsions,  and  next  day  in  the  streets 
nothing  was  beard  but  ironical  references  to  fat  and  thick 
heads.  The  girls  had  not  succeeded  in  spoiling  the  scene, 
for,  encouraged  by  the  applause,  Kate  had  chaffed  and 
mocked  at  the  Baillie  so  vigorously  and  wittily  that  she  at 
once  won  the  sympathy  of  the  house.  But  the  following 
night  a  tall,  sour-faced  girl,  who  wore  pads,  and  with  whom 
Kate  had  had  some  words  concerning  her  coarse  language, 
hit  upon  an  ingenious  device  for  interfering  with  her  suc- 
cess. It  consisted  in  bursting  into  a  roar  of  laughter  just 
before  she  had  time  to  say,  "  A  fat  head."  The  others  soon 
tumbled  to  the  trick,  and  in  a  night  or  two  they  worked  so 
well  together  that  Kate  grew  so  nervous  that  she  could  not 
speak  her  lines.  This  made  her  feel  very  miserable ;  and  her 
stage  experience  being  limited,  she  ascribed  her  non-success 
to  her  own  fault,  until  one  night  Dick  rushed,  the  moment 
the  curtain  was  down  at  the  end  of  the  first  act,  into  the 
middle  of  the  stage.  Putting  up  his  arms  with  a  large 
gesture,  he  called  the  company  back. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  have  noticed  that 
the  front  scene  in  this  act  has  not  been  going  as  well  as  it 
used  to.  I  don't  want  anyone  to  tell  why  this  is  so;  the 
reason  is  sufficiently  obvious,  at  least  to  me.    I  shall  expect. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  249 

therefore,  the  ladies  whom  this  matter  concerns  to  attend 
a  rehearsal  to-morrow  at  twelve,  and  if  after  that  I  notice 
what  I  did  to-night,  1  shall  at  once  dismiss  the  delinquents 
from  the  company.    I  hope  I  make  myself  understood/' 

After  this  explanation,  any  further  interference  with 
Kate's  scene  was,  of  course,  out  of  the  question,  and  the 
verdict  of  each  new  town  more  and  more  firmly  established 
its  success.  But  if  Dick's  presence  controlled  the  girls 
whilst  they  were  on  the  stage,  his  authority  diminished  as 
it  ascended  to  the  dressing-rooms,  and  many  were  the  ex- 
pedients there  resorted  to  to  annoy  Kate.  Her  particular 
enemy  was  Dolly  Goddard.  ISTot  a  night  passed  that  this 
girl  did  not  refer  to  the  divorce  cases  she  had  read  of  in  the 
papers,  or  pretended  to  have  heard  of.  Her  natural  sharp 
wit  enabled  her  to  do  this  with  considerable  acidity. 
"  Never  heard  such  a  thing  my  life,  girls,"  she  would  begin. 
"  They  talk  of  us,  but  what  we  do  is  child's  play  compared 
with  the  doings  of  the  respectable  people.  A  baker's  wife 
in  this  blessed  town  has  just  run  away  with  the  editor  of  a 
newspaper,  leaving  her  six  little  children,  one  of  them  being 
a  baby  no  more  than  a  month  old,  behind  her." 

"  What  will  the  husband  do  ?  " 

"  Get  a  divorce."  ( Chorus — "  He'll  get  a  divorce,  of 
course,  of  course,  of  course !  ") 

To  this  delicate  irony  no  answer  was  possible,  and  Kate 
could  only  bite  her  lips,  and  pretend  not  to  understand. 
But  it  was  difficult  not  to  turn  pale  and  tremble  sometimes, 
so  agonizing  were  the  anecdotes  that  the  active  brain  of 
Dolly  conjured  up  concerning  the  atrocities  that  pursuing 
husbands  had  perpetrated  with  knife  and  pistol  on  the  be- 
trayers of  their  happiness.  And  when  these  scare-crows 
failed,  there  were  always  the  dirty  stories  to  fall  back 
upon.  A  word  sufficed  to  set  the  whole  gang  recounting 
experiences,  and  comparing  notes.  Often  a  sneer  curled  the 
comers  of  Kate's  lips,  but  to  protest  she  knew  would  be 
only  to  expose  herself  to  a  rude  answer,  and  to  appeal  to 
Dick  couldn't  fail  to  excite  still  further  enmity  against  her. 
Besides,  what  could  he  do  ?  How  could  he  define  what  were 
and  what  were  not  proper  conversations  for  the  dressing- 
rooms?    Clearly,  the  best  thing  for  her  to  do  was  to  ask 


250  A  Mummer's  Wife 

him  to  put  her  to  dress  with  the  principals,  and  this  she 
decided  to  do  one  evening  when  the  words  used  in  No.  6  had 
been  more  than  usually  warm. 

Dick,  of  course,  made  no  objection,  and  with  Leslie  and 
Beaumont  Kate  got  on  better. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,"  said  Leslie,  as  she  bent 
to  allow  the  dresser  to  place  a  wreath  of  orange-blossoms  on 
her  head.  "  I  wonder  you  didn't  think  of  asking  Mr.  Len- 
nox to  put  you  with  us  before." 

"  I  didn't  like  to.  I  was  afraid  of  being  in  your  way," 
said  Kate,  as  she  examined  with  a  circular  look  the  blank 
whitewash,  the  overfilled  slop-pail,  and  the  naked  gas-jet. 
"  I  hope  Beaumont  won't  mind  my  being  here." 

"  What  matter  if  she  does  ?  Beaumont  isn't  half  a  bad 
sort  once  you  begin  to  understand  her.  Just  let  her  talk  to 
you  about  her  diamonds  and  her  men,  and  it  will  be  all 
right." 

"  But  why  haven't  you  been  to  see  me  lately  ?  I  want 
you  to  come  out  shopping  with  me  one  day  next  week.  We 
shall  be  at  York.  I  hear  you  can  get  some  nice  things 
there." 

"  Yes,  there  are  some  nice  shops  there.  I  would  have 
been  to  see  you  before,  but  Frank  has  just  got  some  new 
scores  from  London,  and  he  wanted  me  to  try  them  over 
with  him.  There's  one  that's  just  been  produced  in  Paris — 
the  loveliest  music  you  ever  heard  in  all  your  life.  Come 
"up  to  my  place  to-morrow  and  I'll  play  it  over  to  you.  But 
talking  of  music,  I  hear  that  you  are  getting  on  splendidly." 

"  I  think  I'm  improving ;  Montgomery  comes  to  practice 
with  me  every  morning." 

"  He's  all  very  well  for  the  piano,  but  he  can't  teach  you 
to  produce  your  voice.  ^Vhat  does  he  know  ?  That  brat  of 
a  boy !  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  cried  Leslie,  suddenly 
confronting  Kate ;  "  we're  going  to  York  next  week.  Well, 
I'll  introduce  you  to  a  first-rate  man.  He'd  do  more  with 
you  in  six  lessons  than  Montgomery  in  fifty.  And  the  week 
after  we  shall  be  at  Leeds.  I  can  introduce  you  to  another 
there." 

"  The  curtain  is  just  going  up,  Miss  Leslie,"  cried  the 
call-boy. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  251 

"  All  right,"  cried  the  prima  donna,  throwing  the  hare's 
foot  to  the  dresser.  "  I  must  be  off  now.  We'll  talk  of  this 
to-morrow." 

Immediately  after  the  stately  figure  of  Beaumont  en- 
tered. Putting  her  black  bag  down  with  a  thump  on  the 
table  she  exclaimed: 

"  Good  heavens  !  not  dressed  yet !  My  God  !  you'll  be  late." 

"  Late  for  what  ?  "  asked  Kate  in  astonishment. 

"  Didn't  Mr.  Lennox  tell  you  that  you  had  to  sing  my 
song,  the  market  woman's  song,  in  the  first  act  ?  " 

"  No,  I  heard  nothing  of  it." 

"  Then  for  goodness  sake  make  haste.  Here,  stick  your 
face  out.  I'll  do  your  make-up  while  the  dresser  laces  you. 
But  you'll  be  able  to  manage  the  song,  won't  you?  It  is 
quite  impossible  for  me  to  get  dressed  in  time.  I  can't 
understand  Mr.  Lennox  not  having  told  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  shall  be  able  to  get  through  it — at  least  I 
hope  so,"  Kate  answered,  trembling  with  the  sudden  excite- 
ment of  the  news.  "  I  think  I  know  all  the  words  except 
the  encore  verse." 

"  Oh,  you  won't  need  that,"  said  Beaumont,  betrayed  by 
a  twinge  of  professional  jealousy.  "  Now  turn  the  other 
cheek.  By  Jove,  we've  no  time  to  lose ;  they  are  just  finish- 
ing the  wedding  chorus.  If  you're  late  it  won't  be  my  fault. 
I  sent  down  word  to  the  theatre  to  ask  if  you  would  sing 
my  song  in  the  first  act,  as  I  had  some  friends  coming  down 
from  London  to  see  me.  You  know  the  Marquis  of  Worth- 
ing— has  been  a  friend  of  mine  for  years.  That'll  do  for 
the  left  eye." 

"  If  you  put  out  your  leg  a  little  farther  I'll  pull  on 
your  stocking,  and  then  you'll  be  all  right,"  said  the 
dresser. 

This  was  done  in  a  jiffy,  and  just  staying  a  moment  to 
pull  up  her  garters  in  a  sort  of  nervous  trance,  she  rushed 
on  to  the  stage,  followed  into  the  wings  by  Beaumont,  who 
had  come  to  hear  how  the  song  would  go. 

It  was  a  complete  success,  and  from  an  enthusiastic  pit 
she  got  a  double  encore. 

These  little  triumphs  encouraged  Kate  more  than  ever 
to  take  Miss  Leslie's  advice;  and  in  no  town  they  visited 


252  A  Mummer's  Wife 

where  the  advantages  of  musical  instniction  could  be  ob- 
tained did  she  neglect  to  avail  herself  of  the  chance. 
Montgomery  was  at  first  inclined  to  jealously  resent  the 
interference  of  other  masters,  but  all  the  objections  he  had 
to  offer  were  steadily  overruled  by  Dick.  And  he,  more 
than  any  one,  urged  her  to  continue  her  studies.  In  mat- 
ters of  money  he  remained  as  heedlessly  generous  as  ever. 
''  Your  lessons  cost  you  three  pounds,  dear?  Very  well, 
here's  five  quid,"  he  would  say,  pulling  a  lot  of  loose  sover- 
eigns out  of  his  waistcoat  pocket. 

"  But  what  am  I  to  do  with  the  rest  ?  " 

"  You  are  sure  to  want  it.  Buy  yoiirself  some  gloves,  or 
a  new  hat." 

She  felt  that  she  would  never  be  able  to  repay  him  for 
his  kindness.  She  experienced  the  most  delicious  inter- 
vals of  love,  and  her  heart  was  over-filled  with  sensations 
of  gratitude.  Indeed,  imless  the  familiarity,  the  spoony 
ways  of  which  he  seemed  unable  to  divest  himself  in  speak- 
ing to  a  woman,  be  pleaded  against  him,  his  conduct  to- 
wards her  was  irreproachable.  But  the  considerateness 
he  showed  on  all  other  points  rendered  this  frailty  the 
more  noticeable,  and  in  all  Kate's  examinations  of  con- 
science pushed  it  into  irritating  prominence.  Yet  it  was 
only  natural  that  doubt  should  grow  upon  her.  The  con- 
stant presence,  the  very  odor  of  skirts  in  which  they  lived, 
was  revolting  to  think  of,  and  daily  to  desire  to  possess 
him  beyond  the  power,  the  assailing  temptation  of  any 
woman,  became  an  increasing  want  in  her  mind. 

The  continual  nerve-excitement  in  which  che  lived,  the 
rich  diet,  the  brandies  and  sodas  supped  in  the  dressing- 
rooms,  the  constant  gratification  of  bodily  pleasure,  com- 
bined to  produce  in  her  naturally  placid  nature  violent  re- 
volts and  demands  for  passionate  outbursts.  Often  at  her 
music  lesson  she  would  grind  her  little  teeth;  a  sudden 
thought  would  strike  her  that  he  had  taken  advantage  of 
her  absence  to  go  round  and  see  one  of  the  girls.  Then, 
again,  under  her  very  eyes,  before  the  curtain  had  gone 
up,  when  the  girls  were  assembled  on  the  stage,  he  would 
put  his  arm  round  the  shoulders  of  some  girl  who  had  come 
to  ask  him  a  question.     These  were  moments  in  which  a 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  253 

little  childish  rage  boiled  like  a  kettle  within  her,  and  she 
would  clench  her  hands,  and  a  mad  instinct  of  scratching 
awoke  in  the  muscles  of  her  arms.  Bitterly,  too,  at  night, 
when  they  got  home  after  the  tlieatre,  she  used  to  reproach 
him;  and  what  annoyed  her  even  more  than  the  fact  itself, 
was  the  absolute  unconsciousness  he  always  displayed  of 
having  ever  done  anything  wrong.  At  last,  exasperated 
by  the  eternal  "  My  dear,  I  don't  remember,"  she  seized 
him  by  the  fuzzy  hair,  and  pulled  until  the  tears  came  into 
his  eyes.  It  was,  however,  half  in  fun,  and  Kate  burst 
out  laughing  soon  after;  but  Dick,  unobservant  as  he  was, 
could  not  lielp  looking  at  her  in  astonisliment.  The 
change  that  had  come  over  her  since  she  left  Hanley  was 
apparent.  Physically,  the  change  was  for  the  better. 
Her  cheeks  were  fuller,  the  lines  of  her  face  softer;  her 
eyes  had  become  less  monotonous  in  color,  and  more  pro- 
voking in  expression:  and  she  smiled  more  readily.  Psy- 
chologically, the  change  was  even  more  marked.  The 
broad,  simple  lines  on  which  her  views  of  life  and  things 
had  formerly  been  based,  had  become  twisted,  broken, 
and  confused;  her  tastes  were  now  more  complex  and  her 
desires  more  febrile.  Even  her  principles  of  honesty  had 
become  shaken.  Anecdotes  of  clever  swindles  no  longer 
wounded  her  feelings;  she  now  listened  to  and  laughed 
at  them  with  the  rest.  The  middle-class  woman,  in  a 
word,  had  disappeared,  and  the  Bohemian  taken  her  place; 
and  had  it  not  been  for  the  anger  with  which  she  repulsed 
all  levity  of  conversation,  and  the  cold  way  she  frowned 
upon  the  spicy  little  stories,  the  delight  of  theatrical 
supper-tables,  the  closest  scrutiny  might  have  failed  to 
find  a  clue  wherewith  to  trace  her  back  to  her  origin.  But 
regarding  the  moral  question,  she  seemed  daily  to  grow 
more  severe,  and  many  were  the  disputes  Kate  and  Dick 
had  on  the  subject.  For  the  smallest  thing  said  in  her 
presence  she  would  challenge  him  with  not  respecting  her. 
And  it  was  amusing  to  watch  the  poor  good-natured  creat- 
ure, who  neither  respected  nor  disrespected  any  living 
thing,  but  lived  only  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  moment, 
striving  to  lead  the  conversation  away  from  dangerous 
ground.     Beaumont  and  Mortimer  often  made  this  ex- 


254  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tremely  difficult  for  liini,  and  when  they  met  at  dinner  or 
supper  Dick's  attempts  at  steering  a  clear  way  through 
the  sticky  suggestiveness  of  their  allusions  recalled  often 
the  struggles  of  a  bluebottle  threading  his  way  out  of  a 
spider's  web.  For,  besides  maintaining  a  tight  rein  over 
his  own  tongue,  he  was  likewise  made  responsible  for  the 
conduct  of  others,  and  expected,  on  the  first  suspicion  of 
imj^ropriety,  to  call  the  offender  to  account.  This  was 
as  may  be  easily  imagined,  not  too  facile  a  task,  and  often 
placed  Dick  in  a  somewhat  ludicrous  position.  But  Kate 
forced  obedience  upon  him.  Out  of  her  former  placid 
nature  had  arisen  a  perky  little  spirit,  which,  although  it 
sometimes  worried,  was  not  without  charm  for  her  soft- 
hearted lover.  Little  as  he  cared  for  the  opinions  of 
others,  he  could  not  help  feeling  proud  of  her,  and  the 
novelty  of  seeing  her  assert  herself  pleased  him.  Was 
he  not  enjoying  the  society  of  a  second  woman  whose  ex- 
istence till  now  he  had  not  suspected?  This  dose  of  au- 
thoritative self-reliance  had  been  introduced  into  her  char- 
acter; first,  by  the  fact  that  she  was  now  a  divorced  woman; 
secondly,  by  the  fact  that  she  was  now  earning  two  pounds 
a  week,  and  received  nightly  a  round  of  public  applause. 
The  news  of  the  decree  nisi  had,  of  course,  suggested  many 
thoughts  for  the  future,  and  had  frightened  her  consider- 
ably. But  in  the  reflections  and  analysis  of  her  life  which 
these  fears  forced  upon  her,  it  became  gradually  clear  to 
her  that  she  was  not  such  a  very  unimportant  person  after 
all.  She  was  getting  on  with  her  music;  she  could  play 
most  things,  and  sing  a  little  at  sight,  and  everybody  said 
that,  when  she  got  a  part,  that  she  would  make  a  success 
of  it.  Besides,  she  was  admired  more  than  any  one  in  the 
company.  At  this  point,  however,  Kate's  thoughts  came 
always  to  a  sudden  stop.  What  was  vaguely  floating  in 
her  mind  was  that  she  had  only  to  make  a  choice  to  get 
any  man  she  liked;  but  the  morality  of  years  intervening, 
she  shrank  from  defining  her  thoughts.  A  wave  of  sup- 
pressed pride  would  sweep  up  through  her  soul,  and  with 
a  flush  in  her  cheeks  she  remembered  that  she  was,  after 
all,  the  honestest  woman  in  the  theatre.  She  admitted  that 
she  had  deserted  her  husband  for  another  man.     It  was 


A  Mummer's  Wife  255 

very  wicl.ed,  that  t-lio  knew;  but  she  could  not  help  her- 
self. They  should  have  l)een  kinder  to  her  than  they  had 
been  at  home.     Her  husband  had  never  really  loved  her, 

and  her  mother-in-law .     But  she  could  not  bring  her- 

self^even  in  thought,  to  abuse  Mrs.  Ede,  and  in  preference 
it  pleased  her  to  think  how  great  was  her  love  for  Dick. 
If  she  was  living  with  a  man  to  whom  she  was  not  mar- 
ried, it  was  because  she  eared  for  him.  Kate  clung  reso- 
lutely to  this  last  fleeting  remnant  of  her  past  life,  and  for 
this  reason  she  passionately — even  at  the  risk  of  making 
herself  unpopular — could  not  refrain  from  asserting  her 
claims  to  the  title  of  an  honest  woman;  and  this,  and  an 
overmastering  desire  to  succeed  in  her  profession,  were  the 
two  things  that  now  occupied  her  mind.  In  speculations 
as  to  when  she  would  obtain  a  part,  her  jealousy  was  for- 
gotten, and  for  the  time  being  her  lover  was  spared  many 
bitter  recriminations.  Nevertheless,  she  grumbled  very 
much  at  having  nothing  to  do.  When  her  little  scene 
with  the  Baillie  was  over,  she  had  to  walk  aimlessly  about 
with,  the  rest  of  the  chorus.  In  Madame  Angot  she  hadn't 
a  line;  after  her  success  with  the  fishwife's  song,  Beau- 
mont took  good  care  not  to  give  her  another  chance. 
Every  night  this  matter  was  discussed,  but  Dick  could  not, 
as  he  said,  sack  the  principals.  All  sorts  of  expedients 
were  suggested,  even  to  the  possibility  of  mounting  a  new 
opera — a  proposition  much  approved  of  by  Montgomery; 
but  nothing  could  be  agreed  on  save  the  advisability  of 
Kate  setting  to  work  to  understudy  Miss  Leslie. 

"  Kate  could  play  Serpolette  as  it  was  never  played  be- 
fore," exclaimed  Dick,  who  believed  implicitly  in  her 
talent. 

"  And  I'll  engage  that  she  does,"  cried  Montgomery; 
"  I'll  bring  up  the  score  to-morrow  and  we'll  have  a  go 
at  it." 

Once  begun,  the  studies  proceeded  gayly.  Apparently 
deeply  interested,  in  the  somnolent  beatitude  of  the  morn- 
ing hours,  Dick  lay  back,  smoking  perpetual  cigarettes  in 
the  armchair.  Montgomery  hammered  with  nervous 
vigor  at  the  piano;  Kate  stood  by  his  side,  her  soul  burn- 
ing in  the  ardors  of  her  task.     She  would  have  preferred 


256  ^  Mummer's  Wife 

the  part  of  Germaine;  it  would  have  better  suited  her  mild 
demeanor  than  the  frisky  Serpolette;  but  in  vain  it  seemed 
to  hope  for  illness  or  any  accident  that  would  prevent 
Beaumont  from  playing.  They  could  only  suggest  that 
Leslie  was  often  imprudent,  and  praying  for  a  bronchial 
visitation  they  watched  at  night  to  see  how  she  was 
wrapped  up. 

When  Kate  knew  the  music  a  rehearsal  was  called  for 
her  to  go  through  the  business,  and  it  was  then  that  the 
long-smouldering  indignation  broke  out  against  her.  In 
the  first  place  the  girl  who  till  now  had  been  entrusted 
with  the  understudy,  and  had  likewise  lived  in  the  hopes 
of  coughs  and  colds,  burst  into  floods  of  passionate  tears 
and  storms  of  violent  words.  She  attacked  Kate  vigor- 
ously; and  the  scene  was  doubly  unpleasant,  as  it  took 
place  in  the  presence  of  everybody.  The  most  remorseless 
references  were  made  to  dying  and  deserted  husbands,  and 
all  the  acridness  of  the  chorus-girl  was  squeezed  into  allu- 
sions anent  the  Divorce  Court.  This  was  as  disagreeable 
for  Dick  as  for  Kate.  The  rehearsal  had  to  be  dismissed, 
and  the  lady  in  question  was  sent  back  to  London.  Sym- 
pathy at  first  ran  very  strongly  on  the  side  of  the  weak, 
and  the  ladies  of  the  theatre  were  united  in  their  efforts 
to  make  it  as  disagreeable  as  possible  for  Kate.  She  bore 
up,  however,  courageously;  and  after  a  time  her  continual 
refusal  to  again  rehearse  the  part  won  a  reaction  in  her 
favor;  and  when  Miss  Leslie's  cold  began  to  grow  worse, 
and  it  became  clear  that  some  one  must  understudy  Serpo- 
lette, the  part  fell  without  opposition  to  her  share. 

And  now  every  minute  of  the  day  was  given  to  learning 
or  thinking  out  in  her  inner  consciousness  some  portion  of 
her  part.  In  the  middle  of  her  breakfast  she  would  hur- 
riedly lay  her  cup  with  a  clink  in  the  saucer  and  say, 
'•  Look  here,  Dick;  tell  me  how  I  am  to  do  that  run  in — 
my  first  entrance,  you  know." 

"  What  are  your  words,  dear?  " 

"  '  Who  speaks  ill  of  Serpolette?  '  " 

The  breakfast-table  would  then  be  pushed  out  of  the 
way  and  the  entrance  rehearsed.  Dick  seemed  never  to 
get  tired,  and  the  run  was  practised  over  and  over  again. 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  257 

Coining  home  from  the  theatre  at  night,  it  was  always  a 
question  of  this  effect  and  that  effect;  of  whether  Leslie 
might  not  have  scored  a  point  if  she  had  accentuated  the 
lifting  of  her  skirt  in  the  famous  song. 

That  was,  as  Dick  declared,  the  "  number  of  grip;  "  and 
often,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  just  as  she  was  get- 
ting into  bed,  Kate  would,  in  her  chemise,  begin  to  sing — 

"  Look  at  me  here  !  look  at  me  there  ! 
Criticise  me  everywhere  ! 
From  head  to  feet  I  am  most  sweet, 
And  most  perfect  and  complete." 

But,  above  all,  there  was  a  scene  in  the  first  act  in  which 
Serpolette  had  to  run  screaming  with  laughter  away  from 
her  cross  old  uncle,  Gaspard,  and  dodge  him,  hiding  be- 
hind the  Baillie  and  his  clerk.  To  do  this  effectively  re- 
quired a  certain  chic,  a  gayety,  which  Kate  did  not  seem 
able  to  summon  up;  and  therein  lay  the  weak  place  in  her 
rendering  of  the  part.  "  You're  all  right  for  a  minute,  and 
then  you  sober  down  into  a  Gerraaine,"  Dick  would  say, 
at  the  end  of  a  long  and  critical  conversation.  And  for 
days  this  judgment  formed  the  theme  of  Kate's  rumina- 
tions. Thinking  it  cannot  be  called,  but  in  the  efforts  of 
her  intelligence  to  generate  in  herself  and  give  birth  to 
the  being  indicated  by  the  dramatist,  she  mentally  trans- 
ported herself  to  scenes  of  artificial  pleasure — scenes  in 
which  she  was  surrounded  by  lovers  who,  drinking  wine 
from  goblets  of  gold,  crowned  her  with  roses  and  mad- 
dened her  with  laughter.  Thus  she  divined  a  wild  gay- 
ety, as  in  the  murmuring  of  a  sea-shell  we  hear  the  wash 
of  the  sea;  and  far  away  saw,  as  we  see  reflections  in  deep 
waters,  flying  figures  and  floating  hair,  in  the  middle  of 
which  kisses  were  snatched. 

The  business  she  learned  to  "  parrot";  Dick  taught  her 
the  gestures  and  the  intonations  of  voice  to  be  used,  and 
after  she  had  had  a  glass  of  wine,  he  said  he  would  back 
her  to  go  through  the  part  quite  as  well  as  Leslie. 

Leslie!  The  word  was  now  constantly  in  their  minds. 
"Would  her  cold  get  worse  or  better?  was  the  question  dis- 
cussed the  most  frequently  between  Dick,  Kate,  and  Mont- 

17 


258  'A  Mummer's  Wife 

gomery.  Sometimes  it  was  better,  sometimes  worse;  but 
at  last  at  the  moment  of  their  greatest  despondency  the 
welcome  news  came  that  she  had  slipped  downstairs  and 
sprained  her  foot  badly. 

"  Oh,  the  poor  thing!  "  said  Kate;  "  I'm  so  sorry.  Had 
I  known  that  was " 

"  Was  going  to  happen  you  wouldn't  have  learnt  the 
part,"  exclaimed  Montgomery,  with  his  loud,  vacant  laugh. 

Answering  him  with  an  angry  glance,  she  cast  down  her 
eyes,  and  beat  her  foot  impatiently  on  the  ground.  After 
a  long  silence  she  said,  '"'  I  shall  go  and  see  her." 

"  You'd  much  better  run  through  your  music  with  Mont- 
gomery, and  mind  not  to  forget  to  see  the  dresser  about 
your  dress.  And,  for  God's  sake,  do  try  and  put  a  bit  of 
gayety  into  the  part.  Serpolette  is  a  bit  of  a  romp,  you 
know." 

"  Try  to  put  a  l)it  of  gayety  into  the  part,"  rang  in  Kate's 
ears  unceasingly.  It  haunted  her  as  she  took  in  the  waist 
of  Leslie's  dress,  while  she  leaned  over  Montgomery's 
shoulder  at  the  piano  or  listened  to  his  conversation.  He 
was  enthusiastic,  and  she  thought  it  very  pretty  of  him  to 
say,  "  I  am  glad  to  have  had  a  share  in  your  first  success. 
No  one  forgets  that;  that's  sure  to  be  remembered." 

It  was  the  nearest  thing  to  a  profession  of  love  he  had 
ever  made,  but  she  was  preoccupied  with  other  thoughts, 
and  had  to  send  him  away  for  a  last  time  to  study  the  dia- 
logue before  the  glass. 

"  Try  to  put  a  little  gayety  into  the  part.  Serpolette  is 
a  romp,  you  know." 

"Yes,  a  romp;  but  what  is  a  romp?"  Kate  asked  her- 
self; and  she  strove  to  realize  in  detail  that  which  she  had 
accepted  till  now  in  outline.  The  first  thing  to  be  done 
was  to  get  rid  of  her  gloom;  and  feeling  angry  like  one  who 
has  started  at  a  shadow,  she  went  over  to  the  cupboard, 
took  out  a  decanter,  and  drank  a  couple  of  glasses  of 
sherry.  The  stimulant  had  the  desired  etfect.  Gayly  she 
skipped  now  from  the  graver  scenes  of  her  married  life 
which  had  irritated  her  to  reminiscences  of  factory  boys 
and  girls  larking  together;  to  recollections  of  village  fetes; 
to  all  things  that  would  help  her  to  attune  her  thoughts 


A  Mummer's  Wife  259 

to  the  sentiments  of  the  three  hours  to  be  passed  in  the 
day  of  the  footlights  and  the  shadow  of  painted  trees. 
The  struggle  was  a  hard  one,  but  it  was  on  this  evening, 
more  than  any  other,  that  she  freed  herself  from  the 
weight  of  ten  years  of  work  which  pressed  upon  her,  and 
trod  the  heaviest  tread  on  the  head  of  her  anterior  life. 


CHAPTEK   XVI 

ADIES  and  gentleman,"  said  Mr.  Hayes,  who 
had  much  against  his  will  been  pushed  before 
the  curtain  of  the  Theatre  Royal,  Bristol,  to 
make  the  following  statement,  "  I  am  sorry  to 
inform  you  that  in  consequence  of  indisposition — that  is 
to  say,  the  accidental  spraining  of  her  ankle — Miss  Leslie 
will  not  be  able  to  appear  to-night.  Your  kind  indulgence 
is  therefore  requested  for  Miss  D'Arcy,  who  has,  on  the 
shortest  notice,  consented  to  play  the  part  of  Serpolette." 

"  Did  yer  ever  'ear  of  any  one  spraining  an  ankle  on  pur- 
pose?" asked  a  scene-shifter. 

"  Hush!  "  said  the  gasman,  "  he'll  'ear  you." 

Amid  murmurs  of  applause,  Mr.  Hayes  hacked  into  the 
wings. 

"  Well,  was  it  all  right?  "  he  asked  Dick. 

"  Right,  my  boy,  I  should  think  it  was;  there  was  a  touch 
of  Gladstone  in  your  accidental  sprained  ankle." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  said  the  discomfited  acting  man- 
ager. 

"  I  haven't  time  to  tell  you  now.  Now  then,  girls,  are 
you  ready?  "  he  said,  rushing  on  to  the  stage  and  hurriedly 
changing  the  places  of  the  choristers.  Putting  his  hand 
on  a  girl's  shoulder,  he  moved  her  to  the  right  or  left  as 
his  taste  dictated.  Then  retiring  abruptly,  he  cried, 
"Now  then,  up  you  go!"  and  immediately  after  thirty 
voices  in  one  sonority  sang, 

"  In  Corneville's  wide  market-pla — a — ces 
Sweet  servant  girls  with  rosy  fa — a — ces 
Wait  here,  wait  here." 

"  Now,  then,  come  on.  You  make  you  entrance  from 
the  top  left." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  ever  be  able  to  do  that  run  in." 
"  Don't  begin  to  think  about  anything.     If  you  don't 


A  Mummer's  Wife  361 

like  the  run,  I'll  tell  you  how  to  do  it,"  said  Dick,  his  face 
lighting  up  with  a  sudden  inspiration;  ''  do  it  with  a 
cheeky  swagger,  walking  very  slowly,  like  this;  and  then 
when  you  get  quarter  of  the  Avay  down  the  stage,  stop  for  a 
moment  and  sing,  'Who  speaks  ill  of  Serpolette?'  Do 
you  see! " 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  will  suit  me  better;  I  understand." 
Then  standing  under  the  sloping  wing,  they  both  list- 
ened anxiously  for  the  cue. 
"  She  loves  Grenicheux." 

"  There's  your  cue.  On  you  go,  give  me  your  shawl." 
The  footlights  dazzled  her.  The  shadow-filled  audi- 
torium spotted  with  hundreds  of  faces,  was  appalling;  a 
burst  of  applause  rather  frightened  than  reassured  her, 
and  a  prey  to  a  sort  of  dull  dream,  she  sang  her  first  lines. 
But  she  was  a  little  behind  the  beat.  Montgomery  brought 
down  his  stick  furiously,  the  repliques  of  the  girls  buffeted 
her  ears  like  palms  of  hands,  and  it  was  not  until  she  was 
half-way  through  the  gossiping  couplets,  and  saw  Mont- 
gomery's arm  swing  peacefully  to  and  fro  over  the  bent 
profiles  of  the  musicians  that  she  fairly  recovered  her 
presence  of  mind.  Then  came  the  little  scene  in  which 
she  runs  away  from  her  uncle  Gaspard  and  hides  behind 
tlie  Baillie.  And  she  dodged  the  old  man  with  such 
sprightliness  from  one  side  of  the  stage  to  the  other  that 
a  murmur  of  admiration  floated  over  the  pit,  and,  arising 
in  circular  echoes,  was  prolonged  almost  until  she  stepped 
down  to  the  footlights  to  sing  the  legend  of  Serpolette. 

The  quaintly  tripping  cadences  of  the  tune  and  the  hu- 
mor of  the  words,  which  demanded  to  be  rather  said  than 
sung,  were  rendered  to  perfection.  It  was  impossible  not 
to  like  her  when  she  said, 

"  I  know  not  ranch  of  my  relations, 
I  never  saw  my  mother's  face  ; 
And  of  preceding  generations 
I  never  found  a  single  trace. 

"  I  may  have  fallen  from  the  sky, 

Or  blossomed  in  a  rosebud  sweet ; 
But  all  I  know  is  this,  that  I 

Was  found  by  Gaspard  in  his  wheat." 


262  A  Mummer's  Wife 

A  smile  of  delight  filled  the  theatre,  and  Kate  felt  the 
chilling  sense  of  separation  which  exists  between  the  pub- 
lic a.nd  a  debutante  being  gradually  filled  in  by  a  delicious 
but  almost  incomprehensible  notion  of  contact — a  sensa- 
tion more  delicate  than  the  touch  of  a  lover's  breath  on 
your  face.  This  reached  a  climax  when  she  sang  the  third 
verse,  and  had  not  etiquette  forbade,  she  would  have  had 
an  encore  for  it  alone. 

"  I  often  think  that  perhaps  I  may 
The  heiress  to  a  kingdom  be, 
But  as  I  wore  no  clothes  that  day 
I  brought  no  papers  out  with  me." 

These  words,  that  had  often  seemed  coarse  in  Leslie's 
mouth,  in  Kate's  seemed  adorably  simple.  So  winning 
was  the  smile  and  so  coquettishly  conscious  did  she  seem 
of  the  compromising  nature  of  the  statement  she  was  mak- 
ing, that  the  entire  theatre  was  actuated  by  the  impulse 
of  one  thought — Oh!  what  a  little  dear  you  must  have  been 
lying  in  the  wheat-field!  The  personality  of  the  actress 
disappeared  in  the  rosy  thighs  and  chubby  arms  of  the 
foundling,  and  notwithstanding  the  length  of  the  song,  she 
had  to  sing  it  twice  over.  Then  there  was  an  exit  for 
her,  and  she  rushed  into  the  wings.  Several  of  the  girls 
spoke  to  her,  but  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  reply  to 
them.  Everything  swam  in  and  oiit  of  sight  like  shapes 
in  a  mist,  and  she  could  only  distinguish  the  burly  form 
of  her  lover.  He  wrapped  a  shawl  about  her,  and  a  mur- 
mur of  amiable  words  followed  her,  and,  with  her  thoughts 
fizzing  like  champagne,  she  tried  to  listen  to  his  praises. 

Then  followed  moments  in  which  she  anxiously  waited 
for  her  cues.  She  was  nervously  afraid  of  missing  her 
entrance,  and  she  dreaded  spoiling  her  success  by  some 
mistake.  But  it  was  not  until  the  end  of  the  act  when  she 
stepped  out  of  the  crowd  of  servant-girls  to  sing  the  famous 
coquetting  song,  that  she  reached  the  summit  of  her 
triumph. 

Kate  was  about  the  medium  height,  a  shade  over  five 
feet  five.  When  she  swung  her  little  dress  as  she  strutted 
on  the  stage  she  reminded  you  immediately  of  a  pigeon. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  263 

In  her  apparent  thinness  from  time  to  time  was  revealed 
a  surprising  plumpness.  For  instance,  her  bosom,  no 
more  in  a  walking  dress  than  an  indication,  in  a  low  body 
assumed  the  roundness  of  a  bird's,  and  the  white  lines  of 
her  falling  shoulders  floated  in  long  undulations  into  the 
blue  masses  of  her  hair.  The  nervous  sensibility  of  her 
profession  had  awakened  her  face,  and  now  the  brown  eyes 
laughed  with  the  spiritual  maliciousness  with  which  we 
willingly  endow  the  features  of  a  good  fairy.  The  hips 
were  womanly,  the  ankle  was  only  a  touch  of  stocking, 
and,  when  coquettishly  lifting  the  skirt,  she  sang, 

"  Look  at  me  here,  look  at  me  there, 
Criticise  me  everywhere. 
I  am  most  sweet  from  head  to  feet, 
Aud  most  perfect  and  complete." 

the  whole  house  rose  to  a  man  and  roared.  The  audience, 
principally  composed  of  sailors — men  home  from  months 
of  watery  weariness,  nights  of  toil  and  darkness,  maddened 
by  the  irritating  charm  of  the  music  and  the  delicious 
modernity  of  Kate's  figure  and  dress,  looked  as  if  they 
were  going  to  precipitate  themselves  from  the  galleries. 
Was  she  not  the  living  reality  of  the  figures  posted  over 
the  hammocks  in  oil-smelling  cabins,  the  prototype  of  the 
short-skirted  damsels  that  decorated  the  empty  match 
boxes  which  they  preserved  and  gazed  at  under  the  light 
of  the  stars? 

Her  success  was  enormous,  and  she  was  forced  to  sing, 

"  Look  at  me  here," 

five  times  before  her  friends  would  allow  the  piece  to  pro- 
ceed. At  the  end  of  the  act  she  received  an  ovation.  Two 
reporters  of  the  local  newspapers  obtained  permission  to 
come  behind  to  see  her.  London  engagements  were 
spoken  of,  and  in  the  general  enthusiasm  some  one  talked 
about  grand  opera.  Even  her  fellow  artists  forgot  their 
jealousies,  and  in  the  nervous  excitement  of  the  moment 
complimented  her  highly.  Beaumont,  anxious  to  kick 
down  her  rival,  declared,  "  That,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  it 


264  A  Mummer's  Wife 

was  a  better  rendering  of  the  part  than  Leslie's."  On 
hearing  this,  Bret,  whose  forte  was  not  repartee,  moved 
away;  Mortimer,  in  his  least  artificial  manner,  said  that  it 
was  not  bad  for  a  beginning  and  that  she'd  get  on  if  she 
worked  at  it.  Dubois  strutted  and  spoke  learnedly  of  how 
the  part  had  been  played  in  France,  and  he  was  pleased  to 
trace  by  an  analysis  which  was  difficult  to  follow  a  resem- 
blance between  Kate  and  Madame  Judic. 

The  second  act  went  equally  well.  And  after  seeing  the 
ghosts  she  got  a  bouquet  thrown  to  her,  so  cheekily  did  she 
sing  the  refrain, 

"  For  a  regiment  of  soldiers  wouldn't  make  me  afraid." 

She  had  therefore  now  only  to  maintain  her  prestige  to  the 
end,  and  when  she  had  got  her  encore  for  the  cider  song, 
and  had  been  recalled  before  the  curtain  at  the  end  of  the 
third  act,  with  unstrung  nerves  she  wandered  to  her  dress- 
ing-room, thinking  of  what  Dick  would  say  when  they  got 
home.  But  the  pleasures  of  the  evening  were  not  over 
yet:  there  was  the  supper,  when  her  success  would  be  thor- 
oughly discussed,  still  to  be  looked  forward  to.  She 
would  have  liked  to  have  been  alone  with  Dick;  but  on 
consideration,  thinking  it  would  look  awkward  not  to  ask 
Montgomery,  she  whispered  to  him  in  the  wings,  when  she 
came  down  from  the  dressing-room,  that  they  hoped  to  see 
him  at  their  place  later  on.  He  said  he  would  be  very 
glad,  but  for  the  moment  he  was  obliged  to  cut  away  as  he 
had  some  music  to  copy  out. 

Kate  was  left  alone  in  the  vacant  twilight  of  the  stage. 
The  scene-shifters  were  carrying  to  and  fro  the  long  swing- 
ing wings,  the  T-light  was  flaring.  As  she  walked  up  and 
down  the  rough  boards  a  warm  joy,  a  luxurious  conscious- 
ness of  success,  penetrated  her  whole  being,  and  her 
thoughts  balanced  themselves  voluptuously  on  the  remem- 
brance. She  recalled  each  round  of  applause  she  had  re- 
ceived; she  dwelt  upon  and  tickled  herself  amorously  with 
the  souvenir  of  the  compliments  that  had  been  paid  to  her. 
Indistinct  visions  of  future  successes  amassed  themselves 
in  her  mind,  and  in  feelings  that  were  profoundly  sensual 


A  Mummer's  Wife  265 

she  savored  in  advance  the  pleasure  that  would  presently 
be  hers  when,  sitting  between  Dick  and  Montgomery,  she 
would  hear  them  talking  of  her,  and  discussing  in  detail 
the  events  of  which  she  had  been  the  heroine.  From  time 
to  time  chorus-girls  passed  across  going  in  the  direction 
of  the  stage-door.  As  they  went  by  her  they  invariably 
stopped  and,  with  a  few  mechanical  words  and  a  hard 
smile,  strove  to  compliment  her.  Kate  thanked  them  and 
continued  her  walk.  At  last  Beaumont  and  Dolly  God- 
dard  came  by.  After  a  phrase  or  two  concerning  the  piece, 
questions  were  asked  about  Dick.  Kate  answered  that  she 
was  waiting  for  him.  At  that  moment  a  scene-shifter 
who  happened  to  be  passing,  supplied  the  information  that 
he  had  seen  Mr.  Lennox  leaving  the  theatre  some  twenty 
minutes  ago,  and  that  he  had  not  returned.  Kate  won- 
dered where  he  had  gone  to,  and  while  she  puzzled  her 
brains  to  think  why  he  had  not  left  a  message  for  her,  she 
listened  to  Beaumont  who  was  proposing  that  they  should 
go  round,  before  it  was  too  late,  and  have  a  drink  at  the 
pub.  Afraid  he  might  return  in  her  absence,  and  know- 
ing how  he  disapproved  of  her  going  to  public-houses  with 
the  girls,  she  hesitated;  but  Beaumont  insisted,  and  as  it 
was  a  question  of  drinking  to  that  night's  success,  Kate, 
fearing  to  appear  ungenerous,  consented.  A  word  was  left 
with  the  stage-door  keeper. 

"  No,  not  here,"  said  Beaumont,  shoving  an  inch  or  so 
apart  the  swinging  doors.  Dolly  and  Kate  were  behind 
her.  "  'Tis  too  full.  I'll  show  you  the  way  round  by  the 
side  entrance." 

And  giggling,  the  girls  slipped  into  the  private  apart- 
ment. 

"  What  will  you  have,  dear?  "  asked  Beaumont  in  an 
apologetic  whisper. 

"  I  think  I'll  have  a  whisky." 

"  You'll  have  the  same,  Dolly?  " 

"  Scotch  or  Irish?  "  asked  the  barman. 

The  girls  consulted  a  moment,  and  decided  in  favor  of 
Irish. 

With  nods  and  glances  the  health  of  Serpolette  was 
drunk,  and  then  fearing  to  look  as  if  she  were  sponging. 


266  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Kate  insisted  on  likewise  standing  treat.  Fortunately 
when  the  second  round  had  been  drunk  closing  time  was 
announced  by  the  man  in  the  shirt-sleeves,  and  bidding  her 
friends  good-by,  Kate  stood  in  the  street  trying  to  think 
if  she  ought  to  return  to  the  theatre  to  look  after  Dick  or 
go  home  and  find  Mm  there. 

Deciding  on  the  latter  alternative,  she  walked  slowly 
along  the  street.  A  chill  wind  blew  up  from  the  sea,  and 
the  sudden  transition  from  the  hot  atmosphere  of  the  bar 
brought  the  fumes  of  the  whisky  to  her  head  and  she  felt 
a  little  giddy.  An  idea  of  drunkenness  suggested  itself; 
it  annoyed  her,  and  repulsing  it  vehemently,  her  thoughts 
somewhat  savagely  fastened  on  to  Dick  as  the  culprit. 
''Where  had  he  gone  to?"  she  asked,  at  first  curiously, 
but  at  each  repetition  she  put  the  question  more  sullenly 
to  herself.  If  he  had  come  back  to  fetch  her  she  would 
not  have  been  led  into  the  public-house  with  Beaumont; 
and,  irritated  that  any  shadow  should  have  fallen  on  the 
happiness  of  the  evening,  she  walked  sturdily  along  until 
a  sudden  turn  brought  her  face  to  face  with  her  lover. 

"  Oh!  "  he  said,  starting,  "  is  that  you,  Kate?  I  was  just 
cutting  back  to  the  theatre  to  fetch  you." 

"  Yes,  a  nice  time  you've  kept  me  waiting,"  she  an- 
swered; but  as  she  spoke  she  recognized  the  street  they 
were  in  as  the  one  in  which  Leslie  lived.  The  blood 
rushed  to  her  face,  and  tearing  the  while  the  paper  fringe 
of  her  bouquet,  she  said,  "  I  know  very  well  where  you 
have  been  to!  I  want  no  telling.  You  have  been  round 
spending  your  time  with  Leslie." 

"  Well,"  said  Dick,  embarrassed  by  the  directness  with 
which  she  divined  his  errand,  "  I  don't  see  what  harm  there 
was  in  that.  I  really  thought  that  I  ought  to  run  and  see 
how  she  was." 

Struck  by  the  reasonableness  of  this  answer,  Kate  for 
the  moment  remained  silent,  but  a  sudden  remembrance 
forced  the  anger  that  was  latent  in  her  to  her  head,  and 
facing  him  again  she  said: 

"  How  dare  you  tell  me  such  a  lie.  You  know  very  well 
you  went  to  see  her  because  you  like  her,  because  you  love 
her." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  267 

Dick  looked  at  her  surprised. 

"  I  assure  you,  you  are  mistaken,"  he  said.  But  at  that 
moment  Bret  passed  them  in  the  street,  hurrying  towards 
Leslie's.  The  meeting  was  an  unfortunate  one,  and  it  sent 
a  deeper  pang  of  jealousy  to  Kate's  heart. 

"  There,"  she  said,  "  haven't  I  proof  of  your  baseness? 
AVhat  do  you  say  to  that?  " 

"To  what?" 

"  Don't  pretend  innocence.  Didn't  you  see  Bret  pass- 
ing? You  choose  your  time  nicely  to  pay  visits — just 
when  he  should  be  out." 

"  Oh! "  said  Dick,  surprised  at  the  ingenuity  of  the  de- 
duction. "  I  give  you  my  word  that  such  an  idea  never 
occurred  to  me." 

But  before  he  could  get  any  further  with  his  explana- 
tion Kate  again  cut  him  short,  and  in  passionate  words 
told  him  he  was  a  monster  and  a  villain,  ^o  taken  aback 
was  he  by  this  sudden  manifestation  of  temper  on  the  part 
of  one  in  whom  he  did  not  suspect  its  existence,  that  he 
stopped,  to  assure  himself  that  she  was  not  joking.  A 
glance  sufficed  to  convince  him;  and  making  frequent 
little  halts  between  the  lamp-posts  to  argue  the  different 
points  more  definitely,  quarrelling  they  proceeded  home. 
But  on  arriving  at  the  door,  Kate  experienced  a  moment 
of  revolt  that  surprised  herself.  The  palms  of  her  hands 
itched,  and  consumed  with  a  childish  desire  to  scratch  and 
beat  this  big  man,  she  beat  her  little  feet  against  the  pave- 
ment. Dick  fumbled  at  the  lock.  The  delay  still  further 
irritated  her,  and  it  seemed  impossible  that  she  could  enter 
the  house  that  night. 

"  Aren't  you  coming  in?  "  he  said  at  last. 

"  No,  not  I.  You  go  back  to  Miss  Leslie;  I'm  sure  she 
wants  you  to  attend  to  her  ankle." 

This  was  too  absurd,  and  Dick  gently  expostulated. 
But  nothing  he  could  say  was  of  the  slightest  avail,  and 
she  refused  to  move  from  the  doorstep.  Then  began  a 
long  argument;  and  in  brief  phrases,  amid  frequent  inter- 
ruptions, all  sorts  of  things  were  discussed.  The  wind 
blew  very  cold;  Kate  did  not  seem  to  notice  it,  but  Dick 
shivered  in  his  fat.     Noticing  his  trembling  she  taunted 


268  A  Mummer's  Wife 

him  with  it,  and  insultingly  advised  him  to  go  to  bed. 
Not  knowing  what  answer  to  give  to  this,  he  walked  into 
the  sitting-room  and  sat  down  by  the  fire.  How  long 
would  she  remain  on  the  doorstep?  he  asked  himself 
humbly,  until  his  reflections  were  interrupted  by  the 
sound  of  steps.  It  was  Montgomery,  and  chuckling,  Dick 
listened  to  him  reasoning  with  Kate.  The  cold  was  so 
intense  that  the  discussion  could  not  be  continued  for  long; 
and  when  the  two  friends  entered  Dick  was  prepared  for 
a  reconciliation.  But  in  this  he  was  disappointed.  She 
merely  consented  to  sit  in  the  arm-chair,  and  from  time  to 
time  she  glared  at  her  lover.  Montgomery  tried  to  argue 
with  her,  but  he  could  scarcely  succeed  in  getting  her  to 
answer  him.  It  was  not  until  he  commenced  to  question 
Dick  on  the  reason  of  the  quarrel  that  she  consented  to 
speak;  and  then  her  utterances  were  more  passionate  de- 
nials of  her  lover's  statements  than  any  distinct  explana- 
tion. There  were  also  long  silences,  during  which  she  sat 
savagely  picking  at  the  paper  of  the  bouquet,  which  she 
still  retained.  At  last  Montgomery  noticing  the  supper 
that  no  one  cared  to  touch  said: 

"  Well,  all  I  know  is,  that  it  is  very  unfortunate  that  you 
should  have  chosen  this  night  of  all  others,  the  night  of 
her  success,  to  have  a  row.  I  expected  a  pleasant  eve- 
ning." 

"  Success,  indeed! "  said  Kate,  starting  to  her  feet. 
"  Was  it  for  such  a  success  as  this  that  he  took  me  away 
from  my  home?  Oh,  what  a  fool  I  was!  Success!  A  lot 
I  care  for  the  success,  when  he  has  been  spending  the  eve- 
ning with  Leslie."  And  unable  to  contain  herself  any 
longer,  she  tore  a  handful  of  flowers  out  of  her  bouquet 
and  threw  them  in  Dick's  face.  Handful  succeeded  hand- 
ful, each  being  accompanied  by  a  shower  of  vehement 
words.  The  two  men  waited  in  wonderment,  and  when 
passionate  reproaches  and  spring  flowers  were  alike  ex- 
hausted, a  flood  of  tears  and  a  rush  into  the  next  room 
ended  the  scene. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

|ATE'S  anger  lasted  until  the  following  day,  until 
it  was  announced  that  Miss  Leslie  suffered  so 
much  with  her  ankle,  that  she  would  be  unable 
to  travel.  Then  the  whole  company  called  to  see 
the  poor  invalid;  the  chorus  left  their  names,  the  princi- 
pals went  up  to  sit  by  the  sofa-side.  They  all  brought 
her  something:  Beaumont,  a  basket  of  fruit;  Dolly  God- 
dard,  a  bouquet  of  roses;  Dubois,  an  interesting  novel; 
Mortimer,  a  fresh  stock  of  anecdotes.  The  subject  of 
sprains  was  eagerly  discussed.  Dubois  had  known  a 
premiere  danseuse  at  the  Opera  House  in  Paris,  who,  etc. 
Beaumont  tried  to  tell  the  story  of  a  certain  piece  of 
orange-peel,  but  she  soon  lost  the  thread  of  her  story,  and 
gave  them  instead  a  good  deal  of  information  concerning 
her  intimacy  with  Lord  Worthing.  But  Bret  was  the  per- 
son of  the  hour;  it  was  he  who  undid  the  bandages,  and 
changed  Miss  Leslie's  position  when  she  asked  to  be  moved. 
It  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  to  produce  either  opera 
without  him;  and  when  he  and  Dick  went  out  of  the  room 
a  look  of  inquiry  was  passed  round. 

"  You  needn't  be  uneasy.  I  wouldn't  let  Bret  stop  for 
anything.  I  shall  be  very  very  comfortable  here.  My 
landlady  is  as  kind  as  she  can  be,  and  the  rooms  are  very 
nice." 

A  murmur  of  approval  followed  these  words,  and  con- 
tinuing Miss  Leslie  said,  laying  her  hand  on  Kate's, 

"  And  my  friend  here  will  play  my  parts  until  I  come 
back.  You  must  begin  to-night,  my  dear,  and  try  to  work 
up  Clairette.  If  you  are  a  quick  study  you  may  be  able  to 
play  it  on  Wednesday  night," 

This  was  too  much;  the  tears  stood  in  Kate's  eyes.  She 
had  in  her  pocket  a  little  gold  porte-bonheur  which  she 
had  bought  that  morning  to  make  a  present  of  to  her  once- 
hated  rival,  but  she  waited  until  they  were  alone  to  slip 


270  A  Mummer's  Wife 

it  on  the  good-natured  prima  donna's  wrist.  The  parting 
between  the  two  women  was  very  touching  and  being  in 
the  melting  mood  Kate  made  a  full  confession  of  her  quar- 
rel with  Dick,  and,  abandoning  herself,  she  sought  for  con- 
solation. Leslie  smiled  curiously,  and  after  a  long  pause 
said, 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  dear,  I  have  been  jealous  my- 
self; but  you'll  get  over  it,  and  learn  to  take  things  easily 
as  I  do.  Men  aren't  worth  it."  The  last  phrase  seemed 
to  have  slipped  from  her  inadvertently,  and  seeing  how 
she  had  shocked  Kate  she  hastened  to  add,  "  Dick  is  a  very 
good  fellow,  and  will  look  after  you;  but  take  my  advice, 
don't  kick  up  a  row;  we  women  don't  gain  anything  by 
it." 

The  words  dwelt  long  in  Kate's  mind,  but  she  found 
it  hard  to  act  up  to  the  counsel  given.  Her  temper  sur- 
prised even  herself.  It  seemed  to  be  giving  way,  and  she 
trembled  with  rage  at  things  that  before  would  not  have 
stirred  an  unquiet  thought  in  her  mind.  Eemembrances 
of  the  passions  which  used  to  convulse  her  when  a  child 
returned  to  her.  As  is  generally  the  case,  there  was  right 
on  both  sides.  Her  life,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  woven 
about  with  temptations.  Dick's  character  easily  engendered 
suspicion,  and  when  the  study  of  the  part  of  Clairette  was 
over,  the  iron  of  distrust  began  again  to  force  its  way  into 
her  heart.  The  slightest  thing  sufficed  to  arouse  her.  On 
one  occasion,  when  travelling  from  Bath  to  Wolverhamp- 
ton, she  could  not  help  thinking,  judging  from  the  ex- 
pression of  the  girl's  face,  that  Dick  was  squeezing  Dolly's 
foot  under  the  rug ;  without  a  word  she  moved  to  the  other 
end  of  the  carriage  and  remained  looking  out  of  the  window 
for  the  rest  of  the  journey.  Another  time  she  was  seized 
with  a  fit  of  mad  rage  at  seeing  Dick  dancing  with  Beau- 
mont at  the  end  of  the  second  act  of  Madame  Angot.  There 
were  floods  of  tears  and  a  distinct  refusal  "to  dress  with 
that  woman."  Dick  was  in  despair !  What  could  he  do  ? 
There  was  no  spare  room,  and  unless  she  went  to  dress  with 
the  chorus  he  didn't  know  what  she'd  do. 

"  My  God !  "  he  exclaimed  to  Mortimer,  as  he  rushed 
across  the  stage  after  the  "  damned  property-man,"  "  never 


A  Mummer's  Wife  371 

have  your  woman  playing  in  the  same  theatre  as  your- 
self ;  it  is  awful !  " 

The  situation  could  not  have  been  better  summed  up. 
For  the  last  couple  of  weeks  Kate  had  been  pestering  him 
to  death.  Everything  he  did  seemed  to  be  wrong.  Success, 
instead  of  satisfying  her,  seemed  to  render  her  more  irri- 
able,  and  instead  of  contenting  herself  with  the  plaudits 
that  were  nightly  showered  upon  her,  her  constant  occupa- 
tion was  to  find  out  either  where  Dick  was  or  what  he  had 
been  doing  or  saying.  If  he  went  up  to  make  a  change 
without  telling  her  she  would  invent  some  excuse  for  send- 
ing to  inquire  after  him ;  if  he  were  giving  some  directions 
to  the  girls  at  one  of  the  top  entrances,  she  would  walk 
from  the  wing  where  she  was  waiting  for  her  cue  to  ask 
him  what  he  was  saying.  This  watchfulness  caused  a  great 
deal  of  merriment  in  the  theatre,  and  in  the  dressing-rooms 
Mortimer's  imitation  of  the  catechism  the  manager  was  put 
to  at  night  was  considered  very  amusing. 

"  My  dear,  I  assure  you  you  are  mistaken  in  your  calcu- 
lation. I  only  smoked  two  cigarettes  after  lunch,  and  then 
I  had  a  glass  of  beer.  I  swear  I  am  concealing  nothing 
from  you." 

This  is  scarcely  a  parody  of  the  strict  surveillance  under 
which  Dick  lived,  but  from  a  mixture  of  lassitude  and  good- 
nature it  did  not  seem  to  annoy  him  too  much,  and  he 
appeared  to  be  most  troubled  when  Kate  murmured  that 
she  was  tired,  that  she  hated  the  profession  and  would  like 
to  go  and  live  in  the  country.  For  now  she  complained 
of  fatigue  and  weariness ;  the  society  of  those  who  formed 
her  life  no  longer  interested  her,  and  she  took  violent  and 
unreasoning  antipathies.  It  was  not  infrequent  for  Morti- 
mer and  Montgomery  to  make  an  arrangement  to  grub  with 
the  Lennoxes  whenever  a  landlady  could  be  discovered  who 
would  undertake  so  much  cooking.  But  now,  suddenly, 
without  being  able  to  explain  why,  Kate  declared  she 
could  not  abide  sitting  face  to  face  with  the  heavy  lead, 
and  listening  any  longer  to  his  drawled-out  stories.  She 
saw  and  heard  quite  enough  of  him  at  the  theatre  without 
being  bothered  by  him  in  the  daytime.  Dick  made  no  ob- 
jection.   Indeed,  he  confessed  willingly  that  he  was  a  bit 


272  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tired  of  disconnected  remarks,  whose  wit  lay  in  their  irrel- 
evancy ;  and  Mortimer  always  got  sulky  if  you  didn't  laugh 
at  his  jokes.  Montgomery  still  continued  to  board  with 
them,  and  although  he  and  Kate  did  not  always  manage 
to  hit  it  off,  they  on  the  whole  got  on  very  well  together. 
Love  helped  him  to  bear  with  a  good  deal  of  pettishness, 
and  Dick  regarded  him  as  a  sort  of  breakwater,  over  and 
against  which  a  great  deal  of  unpleasantness  rippled  harm- 
lessly away.  Dubois,  who  was  asked  to  take  Mortimer's 
place  for  a  time,  got  on  better  with  her.  For  after  the 
drawled-out  dirt  of  Mortimer's  dress  and  speech,  the  natty 
appearance  of  the  little  foreigner  was  a  welcome  change, 
and  the  importance  with  which  he  handed  round  pieces 
of  information  concerning  all  things,  from  Gladstone  to 
Offenbach,  was  very  funny.  He  was  the  type  of  the  man 
who  can  do  everything  better  than  anybody  else.  It  did  not 
matter  whether  you  spoke  of  Balzac's  position  in  modern 
fiction  or  the  rolling  of  cigarettes,  you  were  sure  to  be 
interrupted  with,  "  I  assure  you,  my  dear  fellow,  you  are 
mistaken,"  uttered  in  a  stentorian  voice.  But  it  was  his 
naivete  that  was  most  astonishing.  On  the  subject  of  his 
bass  voice  a  child  could  draw  him  out,  and,  under  the 
pretext  of  instituting  a  comparison  between  him  and  one  of 
the  bass  choristers,  Montgomery  never  failed  to  induce 
him  to  give  the  company  an  idea  of  his  register.  At  first 
to  see  the  little  man  settling  the  double  chin  into  his  chest 
in  his  efforts  to  get  at  the  low  D  used  to  convulse 
Kate  with  laughter,  biit  after  a  time  even  this  grew  mon- 
otonous, and  wearily  she  begged  of  Montgomerv  to  leave 
him  alone.  "  ISTothing  seems  to  amuse  you  now,"  he' would 
say  with  a  mingled  look  of  affection  and  regret.  A  shrug 
of  the  shoulder  she  considered  a  sufficient  answer  for  him, 
and  she  would  sink  back  as  if  pursuing  to  its  furthest  con- 
sequences the  train  of  some  far-reaching  idea. 

And,  wondering,  these  men  watched  the  progress  of 
Kate's  malady  without  ever  suspecting  what  was  really  the 
matter  with  her.     She  was  homesick. 

After  excesses  of  all  kinds  comes  a  more  or  less  violent 
reaction.    Her  doses  of  pleasure  she  had  steadily  increased, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  273 

until  in  her  successful  appearance  as  Serpolette  in  Les 
Cloches  de  Corneville  she  had  reached  the  maximum  attain- 
able quantity.  Her  love  of  Dick  remained  to  her,  and  if  she 
quarrelled  with  him  it  was  because  she  dreaded  losing  him 
more  vividly  than  before.  But  her  love  could  not,  now  that 
a  pause  had  come  in  her  life,  keep  back  the  terrible  weight 
of  early  influences.  Kate  had  not  become  an  actress,  she 
was  merely  a  middle-class  woman  veneered  with  Bohemian- 
ism,  and  again  the  peace  and  calm  on  which  she  had  been 
nourished  began  to  appear  through  the  varnish,  and  when 
she  thought  that  there  was  nothing  before  her  but  this  ever- 
rolling  hurry  from  town  to  town,  from  lodging-house  to 
lodging-house,  she  grew  appalled  at  the  future  tliat  awaited 
her.  It  seemed  to  her  like  some  horrible  punishment,  and 
she  often  awoke  screaming  from  nightmares  in  which  she 
was  bound  to  a  wheel  that  rolled  on  forever.  But  besides 
this  she  had  lately  began  to  suspect  that  she  was  enceinte. 
The  doubt  terrified  her,  and  there  were  times  when  her 
cravings  for  a  little  rest  amounted  to  delirium.  Now  she 
rarely  missed  saying  on  Saturday  nights  when  the  labour 
of  packing  had  to  be  begun: — 

"  Oh,  Dick !  how  tired  I  am !  What  would  I  give  for 
a  little  holiday,  just  to  be  quiet  for  a  bit,  and  do  nothing — 
nothing,  except  go  out  to  walk  with  you  and  sit  on  a  sea- 
shore, as  we  used  to  in  Blackpool !  " 

Week  by  week  the  idea  of  the  inevitable  railway-station 
grew  upon  her,  until  it  became  as  nauseous  to  her  as  the 
expected  dose  of  medicine  is  to  a  child.  And  the  very 
fact  that  the  travelling  had  to  be  done  on  a  Sunday  added 
to  its  repulsiveness ;  for  when  they  drove  through  a  closed 
town  the  remembrance  of  the  church  hour  of  old  time 
would  overwhelm  her  with  insuperable  sweetness,  and  the 
temptations  to  revive  the  Hanley  Sundays  brought  burn- 
ing tears  to  her  eye-lids.  One  day  as  they  were  preparing 
to  start,  the  vision  of  the  long  railway  journey,  with  all  its 
certain  horrors  of  card-playing,  smoking,  and  lewd  anec- 
dotes, arose  in  her  mind  side  by  side  with  the  memory  of 
the  clear  lofty  windows,  the  severe  pews,  the  pure  elevation 
of  the  soul,  the  simple  hymns,  their  soft  assuagements,  and 
all  the  benedictive  felicities  of  the  Sabbath. 
18 


274  A  Mumvier's  Wife 

The  shock  was  too  sudden  and  admitted  of  no  resistance, 
and  she  exchiimed  j)assionately, 

"  No,  I  cannot !  I  will  not  go  to-day  on  that  horrible 
journey!    I  cannot,  Dick;  do  not  ask  me." 

Dick  looked  up,  surprised  beyond  measure. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  said  after  a  pause.  "  You 
won't  come  to  Bath  ?  Well,  and  I  should  like  to  know  who's 
to  j)lay  Clairette  to-morrow  night  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  am,  of  course." 

"  I  don't  understand.  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you 
want  us  to  do  another  week  at  Leamington  when  we  are 
dated  for  Bath  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not !  I  can  follow  on  to-night  by  a  later 
train." 

"And  what  good  will  that  do  you,  dear?"  said  Dick, 
feeling  much  relieved  by  the  explanation. 

"Well,  I'd  like  to  have  one  Sunday  in  quiet;  I'd  like  to 
go  to  church,  that's  all.  I  daresay  you  think  it  nonsense, 
but  I  don't." 

For  a  moment  Dick  looked  at  Kate  in  silent  and  lazy 
astonishment.  The  examination  irritated  her.  Her  face 
twitched,  and  her  fingers  fidgeted  with  the  plaits  of  her 
dress.    At  last  he  said, 

"  Well,  I  never !  You  seem  to  get  more  and  more 
capricious  every  day." 

"  Then  you  won't  let  me  ?  "  said  Kate,  with  a  flush  flow- 
ing through  her  olive  cheeks. 

"  Won't  let  yon  ?  Why  shouldn't  you  stay  if  it  pleases 
you,  dear?  It  does  no  harm  to  anybody.  Besides,  Mont- 
gomery is  staying  too ;  he  wants  to  see  an  aunt  of  his  who 
lives  in  the  town." 

Dick's  unaffected  kindness  so  touched  Kate's  sensibili- 
ties that  the  tears  welled  up  into  her  eyes,  and,  hysterically 
sobbing,  she  flung  herself  into  his  arms.  For  the  moment 
she  was  very  happy,  and  she  looked  into  the  dream  of  the 
long  day  she  was  going  to  spend  with  Montgomery.  She 
had  now  learned  to  joy  in  this  Platonic  friendship,  almost 
to  the  detriment  of  her  love  of  the  other  man.  Her  affec- 
tion for  Dick  was  not  waning,  but  with  him  from  the  first 
there  had  been  no  illusions;  she  had  been  overcome  and 


A  Mummer's  Wife  275 

was  held  by  the  mere  fleshly  force  of  humanity ;  and  it  was 
out  of  this  hotbed  of  sensualism  that  floated  the  pale  per- 
fumes of  the  secret  affinities  that  united  her  in  spirit  with 
the  sentimental  soul  of  the  musician.  Now  it  seemed 
to  her  that  he  was  a  necessary  part  of  her  existence,  and 
she  almost  congratulated  herself  that  Dick  was  not  going 
to  be  with  them  at  Leamington.  There  is  always  a  side  of 
a  woman's  character  that  no  one  man  can  understand. 

The  day  was  not  less  charming  than  the  dream,  and 
trembling  with  nervous  delight,  they  hurried  through  the 
town,  inquiring  for  the  Wesleyan  church.  At  last  it  was 
found.  On  entering  she  hesitated,  overcome  by  a  rush  of 
memories.  But  tins  was  only  momentarily.  When  she  had 
secured  a  place,  the  sensation  of  kneeling  was  i^n  itself  a 
joy.  To  hide  the  tears  upon  her  cheeks  she  was  forced 
to  bury  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  in  the  soft  snoring  of 
the  organ  recollections  of  her  life  frothed  up,  drowning 
her  heart  in  illimitable  and  unexplained  sorrow.  Her 
whole  life  seemed  to  be  weeping  within  her,  and  in  mean- 
ingless distraction  she  regretted  she  had  ever  been  born. 
But  as  the  psalm  proceeded  her  excitement  abated,  until 
at  last  it  subsided  into  a  state  of  ecstasy,  full  at  once  of 
cruelt}^  and  sweetness,  out  of  which  she  made  no  effort  to 
lift  herself.  And  it  was  not  until  the  congregation  kneeled 
down  with  one  accord  for  the  extemporary  prayer  that, 
obeying  a  sudden  impulse,  she  passionately  demanded  grace 
and  pardon  for  her  child.  But  the  effort  exhausted  her,  and 
she  relapsed  into  reveries.  She  saw  in  herself  a  sort  of 
helpless  martyr  to  circumstances,  and  unconsciously  she 
drew  comparisons  between  the  life  she  led  and  the  life 
she  had  hoped  to  attain.  She  remembered  the  marter- 
ialism  of  her  existence,  the  coarse  conversation  that  made 
virtue  of  vice,  the  constant  parade  of  body,  the  strains  of 
sensual  music,  whose  rhythm  expressed  not  love  nor  rever- 
ence but  lust  and  cynicism. 

And  these  sad  beatitudes  of  mind  were  prolonged  in- 
definitely through  the  day.  It  was  midsummer,  and  out 
of  the  flame'of  light  in  the  diaphanous  shadow  of  the  wide- 
spreading  trees,  watching  the  boats  passing  up  the  lucid 
river,  they  dreamed  through  the  long  afternoon,  and  in 


276  A  Mummer's  Wife 

spirit,  at  least,  they  were  united  perfectly  and  completely. 
She  spoke  of  the  decrees  of  fate,  and  hesitatingly  he  an- 
swered by  a  look,  trembling  lest  he  should  say  more  and 
destroy  the  tenderness  of  the  day.  Everything  delighted 
them;  they  had  a  thousand  confidences  to  make,  and  to 
recount  their  impressions  and  opinions  of  life  in  general 
interested  them  beyond  measure.  It  astonished  them  to 
find  how  their  ideas  coincided,  and  in  secret  they  both 
wondered  why  they  had  never  spoken  to  each  other  like 
this  before.  So  enwrapped  was  he  in  the  personality  of  the 
woman,  so  lost  was  he  in  the  liquid  felicities  of  her  brown 
eyes,  that  it  was  a  wearying  effort  to  detach  his  thoughts 
from  them ;  and  when  she  asked  him  about  his  opera  he 
could  only  tell  her  that  he  had  heard  her  voice  in  the  music 
as  he  composed  it.  Strong  as  was  the  artistic  temperament 
in  him,  it  was  overpowered  by  the  force  of  his  love,  it  irri- 
tated him  to  think  of  his  score ;  his  desires  slipped  from  it, 
and  were  obsorbed  in  the  charms  of  the  evening  and  the 
grace  of  Kate's  melancholy  attitudes. 

Dick  had  only  been  mentioned  occasionally,  and  when- 
ever his  name  was  pronounced  the  conversation  fell  awk- 
wardly to  the  ground.  She  was  willing  to  allow  herself  to 
drift  on  that  rainbow-tinted  current  of  sentiment  whose 
reality,  being  less  than  that  of  a  dream,  is  resisted  by  no 
woman,  especially  when  her  heart  is  inflamed  with  the 
ardours  of  a  violent  physical  passion. 

And  while  speaking  of  themselves  their  walk  had  been 
prolonged  far  into  the  country,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
certainty  that  the  day  was  over  forced  itself  through  their 
thoughts  that  they  commenced  to  speak  definitely  of  Dick 
and  the  opera  company,  towards  which  they  were  journey- 
ing, carr3ang  with  them  in  their  souls  the  corpse  of  their 
happiness.  They  had  dined  at  a  country  inn,  and  now, 
saturated  with  tenderness,  they  walked  towards  Leaming- 
ton. The  ways  were  filled  with  Sunday  strollers — mothers 
leading  a  tired  child  moved  steadily  forward;  a  drunken 
man  staggered  over  a  heap  of  stones;  sweethearts  chased 
each  other;  occasionally  a  girl,  kissed  from  behind  as  she 
stretched  to  reach  a  honeysuckle,  rent  with  a  scream  the 
sickly-colored;,  airless  evening. 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  277 

But  through  this  pleasant  day  Kate's  thoughts  had  lain 
on  her  mind  heavy  as  lead.  Sometimes  in  the  excitement 
of  conversation,  now  in  the  hurry  of  getting  to  the  station 
in  time,  her  apprehensions  were  lost  sight  of;  but  when 
the  tickets  were  taken,  and  the  train  commenced  rolling, 
with  a  slight  oscillating  motion,  into  the  open  country,  to 
conceal  her  tears  she  looked  away,  pretending  to  be  in- 
terested in  the  receding  town.  Dim  masses  of  trees  inter- 
rupted by  spires  and  roofs  were  painted  upon  a  huge 
orange-colored  sky,  that  somehow  reminded  her  of  an  opera 
bouffe.  Then  everything  seemed  to  her  but  one  horrible 
profanity. 

"  What  are  you  crying  for  ?  "  Montgomery  asked,  bend- 
ing forward. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know ! — nothing,"  exclaimed  Kate,  soh- 
bing ;  "  but  I  am  very  unhappy.  I  know  I  have  been  very 
wicked,  and  am  sure  to  be  punished  for  it." 

"  What  nonsense  !    Who's  going  to  punish  you  ?  " 

"  God  will  punish  me — I  know  He  will.  I  felt  it  all 
to-day  in  church.  And  when  I  think,  I  don't  know  what 
will  become  of  me." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  have  to  complain  of.  You  have 
made  a  success  on  the  stage.  I  never  saw  any  one  get  on 
so  well  in  so  short  a  time ;  and  you  are  loved,"  he  added  with 
a  certain  bitterness,  "  as  much  as  any  woman  could  be." 

"  That's  what  you  think,  but  I  know  better.  I  see  him 
flirting  every  day  with  different  girls." 

"  You  imagine  those  things.  Dick  can't  speak  roughly 
to  any  one  if  he  tried ;  but  he  doesn't  care  for  any  woman 
but  you." 

"  Of  course,  you  say  so.    You  are  his  friend." 

"  I  assure  you,  'pon  my  word  of  honor ;  I  wouldn't  tell 
you  so  if  it  weren't  true.  You  are — are  you  not? — my 
friend  as  much  as  he." 

So  penetrated  were  these  words  with  an  accent  of  strained 
feeling  that  Kate  raised  her  eyes  to  Montgomery.  Then, 
as  if  afraid  that  she  should  read  his  thoughts,  he  added : 

"  I  am  sure  he  hasn't  kissed  any  one  since  he  knew  you. 
T  can't  put  it  plainer  than  that,  can  I  ?  " 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so.    I  don't  think  you  would 


278  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tell  me  a  lie;  it  would  be  too  cruel,  wouldn't  it?  for  you 
know  what  a  position  I'm  in.  If  Dick  were  to  desert  me 
to-morrow  what  should  I  do?  When  I  think  of  it,  it 
frightens  me  to  death ;  and  I  suppose  it  will  have  to  come. 
It  is  always  the  way  it  ends,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  You're  in  a  mournful  humor.  Why  should  Dick 
desert  you?  Where  would  he  find  a  woman  as  pretty  as 
you?  And  even  if  he  did  I  don't  see  that  it  would  be 
such  an  awful  fate." 

Startled,  Kate  raised  her  eyes  suddenly  and  looked  him 
straight  in  the  face. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  said. 

The  abruptness  of  her  question  made  him  hesitate.  In 
a  swift  instant  he  regretted  having  risked  himself  so  far, 
and  he  reproached  himself  for  being  false  to  his  friend; 
but  the  temptation  was  irresistible,  and  overcome  by  the 
tenderness  of  the  day,  and  irritated  by  the  memory  of 
years  of  vain  longing,  he  said, 

"  Even  if  he  did  desert  you,  you  might,  you  would,  find 
somebody  better — somebody  who  would  marry  you." 

They  were  alone  in  the  railway-carriage,  and  during  a 
long  and  nervous  silence  they  listened  to  the  rattle  of  the 
train.  Outside  the  violet  night  rolled  over  the  woodlands, 
'and  gazing  at  the  one  band  of  yellow  that  remained,  a  yel- 
low like  that  of  a  tea-rose,  each  waited  for  the  other  to 
speak.  It  was  one  of  those  pauses  which  decide  the  destiny 
of  lives.     At  last  Kate  said : 

"  I  could  never  marry  any  one  but  Dick." 

"  Wliy  ?  Do  you  love  him  so  much  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  love  him  better  than  anything  in  the  world ;  but 
even  if  I  didn't  there  are  reasons  which  would  prevent  my 
marrying  any  one  but  him." 

"  Wliat  reasons  ?  " 

Kate  hung  down  her  head.  The  subject  was  a  delicate 
one,  and  she  sought  for  words  to  make  herself  understood. 
She  did  not  know  if  she  ought  to  confide  her  secret  to  Mont- 
gomery, but  a  desire  that  some  one  should  know  of  her 
trouble  smothered  all  otlier  considerations — Imt  after  an- 
other effort  to  speak  she  renounced  the  attempt.  Still 
Montgomery  persisted. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  279 

"  Why  ?  Tell  me  why  you  could  not  marry  any  one  but 
Dick  ?  " 

The  sound  of  his  voice  startled  her,  and  then,  in  a  mo- 
ment of  sudden  naturalness,  she  answered: 

"  Because  I'm  in  the  family-way." 

To  Montgomery  there  was  a  blotting  out  of  all  things; 
a  sheet  of  darkness  seemed  to  have  slipped  before  his  mind, 
and  a  dull  blind  pain  wrenched  his  heart.  Logic  there 
was  none  in  his  grief.  This  woman  was  not,  could  never  be, 
anything  to  him.  To  speak  to  her  of  love  would  be  to 
betray  the  confidence  of  his  friend.  All  this  he  knew  well, 
and  yet  the  confession  he  had  just  heard  was  to  him  a  sort 
of  annihilation.  The  rattle  of  the  train  shook  emptily  in 
his  ears,  and  his  thoughts  pressed  him  into  a  state  of  mute 
stupor — mute  for  he  dare  not  utter  a  cry;  silence  was  im- 
posed upon  him.  Kate  knew  he  was  suffering,  but  the  in- 
tensity of  her  own  feelings  did  not  leave  her  time  for  pity. 
The  thought,  why,  after  all,  should  she  not  marry  Dick? 
shot  through  her  mind  in  such  piercing  fervor  that  she 
remained  as  if  transfixed,  seeing  in  a  dream  a  distant 
vision  of  white.  Why  should  she  not  marry  Dick?  The 
words  sang  like  violins  in  her  ears.  What  was  there  pre- 
vent it  ?  Nothing.  What  a  fool  she  had  been  !  Why  had 
she  not  asked  for  this  reparation  before?  In  a  second  her 
life  had  become  illuminated  and  animated,  and  in  a  deep, 
tranquillity  of  mind  she  savored  the  sweetness  of  her  joy, 
as  a  convalescent  might  a  bouquet  of  freshly  culled  violets. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  marry  him  ?  "  said  Montgomery 
hoarsely. 

The  words  that  were  death-knells  to  him  were  marriage 
bells  in  her  ears,  and  she  said,  speaking  out  of  her  hope 
like  a  prisoner  out  of  his  cell : 

"  Perhaps  he  will  marry  me  when  I  tell  him  all — I  am 
sure  he  will." 

"  What !  haven't  you  told  him  what  you  told  me  ?  " 

"  ISTo,"  Kate  answered  timidly ;  "  I  was  afraid  to." 

"  Then  you  must  do  so  at  once,"  exclaimed  Montgomery, 
now  waking  up  vigorously  from  his  lethargy ;  and  the  poor 
vagrant  musician  whom  nobody  had  ever  loved  said,  and 
it  was  an  act  of  heroic  courage, 


280  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  will  speak  to  him  about  it  the  first  time  I  get  a 
chance.  He  must  marry  you.  It  would  be  wicked  of  him 
not  to.  He  couldn't  refuse,  even  if  he  didn't  love  you, 
which  he  does." 

The  last  streak  of  yellow  had  now  died  out  of  the  sky, 
in  the  dusky  meadows  the  cattle  slept  under  the  light  of 
a  few  shimmering  stars,  and,  penetrated  with  a  sentiment 
of  fathomless  content,  Kate  watched  the  flying  landscape. 
So  ended  the  day  that  had  begun  so  sweetly  for  both.  She 
pitied  him  from  the  bottom  of  lier  heart;  but  being  a 
woman  what  could  she  do  but  look  at  him  with  eyes  full 
of  gratitude,  and  murmur  as  he  developed  his  plans  to  her, 
"  I  am  sure  it  is  very  good  of  you  to  take  such  an  interest 
in  me." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

N  Bath  Kate  scored  an  immense  succecs.  She  was 
applauded  to  the  echo  in  Madame  Angot  and  Les 
Cloches  de  CorneviUe.  As  Clairette  and  Serpo- 
lette  she  was  declared  to  be  equally  perfect.  Dick 
was  enthusiastic,  and  he  talked  extravagantly  of  how  she 
would  eclipse  the  London  prima  donnas  when  they  went 
up  to  town.  In  general  lines  he  sketched  out  a  hundred 
projects  for  getting  a  new  work  over  from  France,  in  which 
Kate  would  create  the  principal  part.  The  only  points 
on  which  he  was  not  decided  were,  which  of  his  three  illus- 
trious composers  he  should  choose  for  the  music,  and  which 
London  theatre  it  would  be  most  suitable  to  take  a  lease 
of.  These  discussions  rendered  Montgomery  very  irritable. 
He  was  willing  to  dream  of  a  London  theatre  till  daylight 
dawned,  but  the  eulogies  passed  on  M.  Herve  rendered  him 
desperate,  and  the  conversationel  ruses  he  employed  to  get 
back  to  his  own  opera  were  most  ingenious. 

Opposite  the  two  men,  lying  back  in  an  armchair,  Kate 
listened.  Their  arguments  wearied  her.  Her  thoughts  were 
bent  too  firmly  on  her  marriage.  Would  he  or  would  he 
not  make  her  his  wife  when  she  told  him  all  ?  she  asked  her- 
self night  and  day.  Sometimes  she  fancied  he  would,  and 
then  the  sweetness  of  the  idea  brought  a  smile  to  her  lips ; 
but  remembering  that  not  in  all  the  books  she  had  read 
could  she  recall  a  single  instance  of  a  man  marrying  his 
mistress,  she  grew  frightened. 

"  Oh !  when  will  they  cease  talking  of  their  horrible  the- 
atres ?  "  she  would  say  to  herself.  "  Who  cares  whether 
Offenbach  or  Herve  writes  the  best  music  ?  "  Even  when 
they  spoke  of  herself,  and  in  glowing  terms  praised  her 
performance  of  Clairette,  she  was  but  faintly  interested. 
Upon  a  stock  of  many  generations  of  middle-class  people, 
people  whose  ideas  had  ever  been  confined  to  a  routine  of 
material  and  spiritual  life,  both  being  accepted  as  earnestly 


282  A  Mummer's  Wife 

as  uninquiringly,  the  artistic  graft  had  taken  but  sparingly ; 
and  it  was  clear  that  as  soon  as  the  bonds  of  love  that  bound 
it  were  taken  off,  it  would  fall  as  an  excrescence,  rejected 
by  hereditary  instincts.  Already  her  marriage  took  far 
greater  importance  in  her  eyes  than  any  stage  success.  Al- 
ready her  mind  was  tinged  with  dreams  that  were  but  an 
echo  of  her  first  life  in  Hanley.  Anything  to  stay  this 
horrible  weekly  journey  that  was  driving  her  mad.  Even 
her  confinement,  far  distant  as  it  was,  seemed  to  her  like 
an  assurance  of  rest ;  and  she  thought  of  the  long  hours  of 
weak  peace,  when  Dick,  sitting  reading  to  her,  could  be 
hers  as  he  had  never  been.  And  the  baby — it  would  unite 
them ;  they  could  never  be  parted  then.  Ah !  all  would  yet 
be  well  if  he  would  marry  her. 

The  Monday  and  Tuesday  at  Bath  she  spent  considering 
how  the  demand — for  she  was  determined  that  it  should 
take  the  form  of  a  demand — should  be  put  to  him.  It  had 
always  been  vaguely  understood  that  they  were  to  be  mar- 
ried— that  is  to  say,  it  had  been  taken  for  granted  that  when 
they  had  time,  when  a  fitting  occasion  presented  itself,  they 
would  render  their  cohabitation  legal.  This  understanding 
had  till  now  satisfied  her.  In  her  happiness  she  had  not 
thought  of  pressing  matters,  and  Dick,  who  let  a  thing  slide 
until  the  iron  rod  of  necessity  pushed  it  down  his  throat, 
had  not  troubled  himself  about  the  matter.  Nothing  this 
man  loved  so  ardently  as  to  talk  about  work  to  be  done, 
but  only  an  expectation  of  the  most  immediate  result  could 
induce  him  to  execute  any  of  his  projects,  and  his  marriage 
he  treated  exactly  as  he  did  his  theatrical  speculations.  Of 
course  he  intended  they  should  be  married;  there  was  no 
doubt  about  it;  but  there  was  no  hurry — some  time  later 
on,  when  they  were  more  settled. 

In  her  present  mode  of  mind  these  answers  were  to  Kate 
especially  exasperating.  She  however  tried  to  keep  her 
temper,  and  to  speak  calmly. 

"  But  Dick,  dear,  why  not  at  once  ?  Kemember  the  life 
of  sin  we  are  leading.  You  don't  know  how  miserable  it 
makes  me." 

Out  of  his  animal  repose  Dick  smiled  at  this  argument. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  283 

If  there  was  one  thing  more  than  another  that  irritated 
her  it  was  to  be  laughed  at,  and,  being  always  on  the  watch 
for  a  sneer,  she  naturally  made  some  startling  discoveries 
in  that  way.  On  the  present  occasion  the  blood  rushed 
instantly  to  her  face,  and  she  exclaimed : 

"  If  you  did  seduce  me,  if  you  did  drag  me  away  from 
my  peaceful  home,  if  you  did  make  a  travelling  actress  of 
me,  there  is  one  thing  you  might  refrain  from  doing,  that's 
insulting  my  religion !  " 

"  Dick  looked  up  surprised.  Kate  had  put  down  her 
knife  and  fork — they  were  finishing  dinner — and  was  pour- 
ing herself  out  a  large  glass  of  sherry.  She  was  evidently 
going  to  work  herself  up  into  one  of  her  rages.  Her  fingers 
trembled  and  the  brown  eyes  were  full  of  gold  light. 

"  I  assure  you,  my  dear,  I  never  intended  to  insult  your 
religion,  and  I  wish  you  wouldn't  drink  all  that  wine,  it 
only  excites  you." 

"  Excites  me !  What  does  it  matter  to  you  if  I  excite 
myself  or  not  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Kate,  this  is  very  foolish  of  you.  I  don't  see 
why — if  you  will  only  listen  to  reason " 

"  Listen  to  reason !  "  she  said,  spilling  the  sherry  over 
the  table,  "  ah !  it  would  have  been  better  if  I  had  never 
listened  to  you." 

"  You  really  mustn't  drink  any  more  wine ;  I  can't  allow 
it,"  said  Dick,  passing  his  arm  across  her  and  trying  to  take 
away  the  decanter. 

This  was  the  climax,  and,  her  pretty  face  curiously 
twisted,  she  screamed  as  she  struggled  away  from  him — 

"  Leave  me  go,  will  you !  leave  me  go !  Oh,  I  hate  you  !  " 
Then  clenching  her  teeth,  and  more  savagely,  "  No,  I  will 
not  be  touched !    No !  no !  no !  I  will  not !  " 

So  astonished  was  Dick  at  this  burst  of  passion  that  he 
loosed  for  a  moment  the  arms  he  was  holding,  and  Kate, 
profiting  by  the  opportunity,  seized  him  by  the  frizzlv  hair 
with  one  hand  and  dragged  the  nails  of  the  other  down 
his  face. 

At  this  unpropitious  moment  Montgomery  entered. 
stopping  suddenly  with  lifted  eyebrows  and  open  mouth, 


284  A  Mummer's  Wife 

he  stood  aghast,  and  Kate,  whose  anger  had  now  expended 
itself,  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  weeping.  Dick  wiped  the 
blood  from  his  cheek. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  said  Montgomery,  speaking 
very  slowly. 

Neither  answered.  The  man  sought  for  words;  the 
woman  walked  about  the  room,  swinging  herself.  Not 
knowing  what  to  make  out  of  it,  Montgomery  appealed 
to  Kate,  and  as  she  passed  before  him  he  stopped  her  and 
begged  for  an  explanation.  She  gave  him  a  swift  look  of 
grief,  and,  breaking  away  from  him,  shut  herself  in  the 
bedroom.     The  two  men  were  then  alone. 

"  What  does  this  mean?  " 

Dick  looked  round  vaguely,  astonished  at  the  authori- 
tative way  the  question  was  put,  but  without  inquiring  he 
answered: 

"  That's  what  I  want  to  know.  I  never  saw  anything 
like  it  in  my  life.  We  were  speaking  of  being  married, 
when  suddenly  Kate  accused  me  of  insulting  her  religion, 
and  then — well,  I  don't  remember  any  more.  She  got  into 
such  a  passion — you  saw  it  yourself." 

"  Did  you  say  you  wouldn't  marry  her?  " 

"  No,  on  the  contrary.  I  can't  make  it  out.  For  the 
last  month  her  caprices,  fancies,  and  jealousies  have  been 
something  awful!  " 

Montgomery  made  a  movement  as  if  he  were  going  to 
reply,  but  checking  himself,  he  remained  silent.  His  face 
then  assumed  the  settled  appearance  of  one  who  is  in- 
wardly examining  the  different  sides  of  a  complex  ques- 
tion.    At  last  he  said: 

"  Let's  come  out  for  a  walk,  Dick,  and  we'll  talk  the 
matter  over." 

''  Do  you  think  I  can  leave  her?  " 

"  'Tis  the  best  thing  you  can  do.  Leave  her  to  have  her 
cry  out." 

Adopting  the  suggestion,  Dick  picked  up  his  hat,  and 
without  further  words  the  men  went  out  of  the  house, 
walking  slowly  arm  in  arm. 

''  I  cannot  understand  what  is  the  matter  with  Kate. 
When  I  knew  her  first  she  hadn't  a  bad  temper." 


A  Mummer's  JVife  285 

To  this  Montgomer}^  made  no  answer.  He  was  think- 
ing. 

After  a  pause  Dick  continued,  as  if  speaking  to  himself: 

"  And  the  way  slie  does  badger  me  with  her  confounded 
Jealousies.  I'm  afraid  now  to  tell  a  girl  to  move  up  higher 
on  the  stage.  There  are  explanations  about  everything, 
and  I  can't  think  what  it  is  all  about.  She  has  everything 
she  requires.  She  hasn't  been  a  year  on  the  stage,  and 
she  is  playing  leading  parts,  and  scoring  successes  too." 

"  Perhaps  she  has  reasons  you  don't  know  of." 

"  Reasons  I  don't  know  of?     What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Well,  you  haven't  told  me  yet  what  the  row  was  about." 

"  Tell  you!     That's  Just  what  I  want  to  know  myself!  " 

"  What  were  you  speaking  about  when  it  began?  "  asked 
Montgomery,  who  was  still  feeling  his  way. 

"  About  our  marriage." 

"  Well,  what  did  you  say?  " 

"What  did  I  say?  I  really  don't  remember;  the  row 
has  put  it  all  out  of  my  head.  Let  me  think.  I  was  say- 
ing— I  mean  she  was  asking  me  when  we  should  be  mar- 
ried." 

"  And  what  did  you  say  to  that?     Did  you  fix  a  day?  " 

"  Fix  a  day!  "  said  Dick,  looking  in  atsonishment  at  his 
friend.     "  How  could  I  fix  a  day?  " 

"  I  think  if  I  loved  a  woman  and  she  loved  me  I  would 
manage  somehow  to  fix  a  day." 

These  words  were  spoken  with  an  earnestness  that  at- 
tracted Dick's  attention,  and  he  looked  inquiringly  at  the 
young  man. 

"  So  you  think  I  ought  to  marry  her?  " 

"  Think  you  ought  to  marry  her? "  exclaimed  Mont- 
gomery indignantly;  "really,  Dick,  I  did  not  think  you 

were Just  remember  what  she  has  given  up  for  you. 

You  owe  it  to  her.     Good  heavens!  " 

"  Well,  you  needn't  get  into  a  passion;  I've  had  enough 
of  passions  for  one  day." 

The  impetuousness  of  the  youth  had  struck  through  the 
fat  nonchalance  of  the  man,  and  he  said  after  a  pause: 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  I  do  owe  it  to  her." 

The  apologetic,  easygoing  air  with  which  this  phrase 


286  A  Mummer's  Wife 

was  spoken  maddened  Montgomery;  he  could  have  struck 
his  friend  full  in  the  face,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  woman 
he  was  obliged  to  keep  his  temper. 

"  Putting  aside  the  question  of  what  you  owe  and  what 
you  don't  owe,  I'd  like  to  ask  you  whether  you  could  find  a 
nicer  wife?  She  is  the  prettiest  woman  in  the  company, 
she  is  making  now  five  pounds  a  week,  and  she  loves  you  as 
well  as  ever  a  woman  loved  a  man.  I  should  like  to  know 
what  more  you  want." 

This  was  very  agreeable  to  hear,  and  after  a  moment's 
reflection  Dick  said: 

"  That's  quite  true,  my  boy,  and  I  like  her  better  than 
any  other  woman.  I  don't  think  I  could  get  anything 
better.  If  it  weren't  for  that  infernal  Jealousy  of  hers. 
Really,  her  temper  is  no  joke." 

"  Her  temper  is  all  right;  she  was  as  quiet  as  a  mouse 
when  you  knew  her  first.  Take  my  word  for  it,  there  are 
excellent  reasons  for  her  being  a  bit  put  out." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Can't  you  guess?  " 

The  two  men  stopped  and  looked  each  other  full  in  the 
face.  Montgomery  stood  the  examining  gaze,  and  then 
resuming  his  walk,  said: 

"  Yes,  it  is  so;  she  told  me  in  the  train  coming  u]^  from 
Leamington." 

Tears  glittered  in  Dick's  eyes,  and  he  became  in  that 
moment  all  pity,  kindness,  and  good-nature. 

"  Oh,  the  poor  dear!  Why  did  she  not  tell  me  that  be- 
fore?    And  I  was  scolding  her  for  being  ill-tempered." 

His  humanity  was  as  large  as  his  fat,  and  although  he 
had  never  thought  of  the  Joys  of  paternity,  now,  in  the 
warmth  of  his  sentiments,  he  melted  into  one  feeling  of 
rapture.     After  a  pause,  he  said : 

"  I  think  I  had  better  go  back  and  see  her." 

"  Yes,  I  think  you  had  better;  fix  a  day  for  your  mar- 
riage." 

"  Of  course." 

Nothing  further  was  said,  and  absorbed  each  in  different 
thoughts,  the  two  men  retraced  their  steps.  When  they 
arrived  at  the  door,  Montgomery  said: 


A  Mummer's  Wife  287 

"  I  think  I  had  better  wish  you  good-by." 
"  ISTo,  come  in,  old  man,  she'd  like  to  see  you." 
And  as  if  anxious  to  torture  himself  to  the  last,  Mont- 
gomery entered.  Kate  was  still  locked  in  the  bedroom, 
but  there  was  such  an  unmistakable  accent  of  trepidation 
and  anxiety  in  Dick's  fingers  and  voice  that  she  opened 
immediately.  Her  beautiful  black  hair  was  undone,  and 
fell  in  rich  masses  about  her.  Dick  took  her  in  his  arms, 
and  held  her  sobbing  on  his  shoulder.  All  he  could  say 
was,  "  Oh,  my  darling,  I  am  so  sorry;  you  will  forgive  me, 
won't  you  ?  " 


CHAPTER    XIX 

lELL,  what  are  you  going  to  give  her?     Do  you 
see  anything  you  like  here  ?  " 

"  Do    you    think    that    paper-cutter    would 
do?" 

"  You  can't  give  anything  more  suitable,  ma'am.  Then 
there  are  these  card-cases;  nobody  could  fail  to  like  them." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  give,  Annie?  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  going  to  give  her  a  pair  of  earrings  we  saw 
3^esterday;  but  if  I  were  you  I  wouldn't  spend  more  than 
half  a  sovereign — it's  quite  enough." 

"  I  should  think  so  indeed — a  third  of  a  week's  screw," 
whispered  Dolly,  "  but  she  ain't  a  bad  one,  and  Dick  will 
like  it,  and  may  give  me  a  line  or  so  in  Olivette.  How  do 
you  think  she'll  do  in  the  part?  " 

"  We'll  talk  about  that  another  time.  Are  you  going 
in  for  the  paper-cutter?  " 

Casting  her  eyes  in  despair  around  the  walls  of  the 
fancy-goods  shop  to  see  if  she  could  find  anything  she  liked 
better,  Dolly  decided  in  favor  of  the  paper-cutter  and,  after 
a  feeble  attempt  at  bargaining,  paid  the  money. 

In  the  street  they  saw  Moritimer  coming  along.  All 
heads  were  turned  to  look  at  him.  He  had  now  allowed 
his  hair  to  grow  in  long,  snake-like  curls  completely  over 
his  shoulders,  and  he  wore  a  frock-coat  with  tails  reaching 
to  the  knees. 

"  For  goodness  sake  come  away,"  cried  Beaumont,  "  I 
do  hate  speaking  to  him  in  the  street,  everybody  stares  so." 

The  girls  turned  to  fly,  but  the  heavy  lead  was  upon 
them,  and  in  his  most  nasal  tones  said: — 

"  Well,  my  dear  young  ladies,  engaged  in  the  charming 
occupation  of  buying  nuptial  gifts?  " 

"  How  very  sharp  you  are,  Mr.  Mortimer,"  answered 
Dolly  in  her  pertest  manner;  "  and  what  are  you  going  to 
give?     We  should  so  much  like  to  know." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  ^89 

After  a  moment's  hesitation  he  said;,  throwing  up  his 
chin  after  the  manner  of  a  model  sitting  for  a  head  of 
Christ: — 

"  My  dear  young  lady,  you  must  not  exhibit  your  curios- 
ity in  that  way;  it  is  not  modest." 

"  But  do  tell  us,  Mr.  Mortimer;  you  are  a  person  of  such 
good  taste." 

The  comic  tragedian  considered  for  a  moment  what  he 
could  say  most  ill-natured  and  so  get  himself  out  of  his 
difficulty. 

"  I  tell  you,  young  lady,  I  am  not  decided,  but  I  think 
that  a  copy  of  Wesley's  hymns  bound  up  with  the  book  of 
the  Grand  Duchess  might  not  be  inappropriate." 

Spite  passes  currently  for  wit,  and  Mortimer  glided  out 
of  his  difficulty.  The  question  of  the  marriage  was  then 
discussed,  and  Dick's  wisdom  in  thus  pairing  for  ever 
prophetically  commented  upon.  Kate's  talent  received 
some  hard  critical  knocks,  and  finally  it  was  agreed  that 
the  luck  lay  for  her  in  their  going  to  Liverpool  just  after 
the  row.  Otherwise,  Beaumont  declared,  there  would  have 
been  no  marriage. 

"  You  must  be  in  a  town  a  fortnight.  I  know  that  to 
my  cost,  for  when  Lord  Wedmore  sent  me  out  on  tour  with 
the  Dragon  Fly — well,  no  matter  about  that.  You  have 
to  be  a  fortnight  in  a  ])lace  before  you  can  get  a  license, 
and  when  are  we  a  fortnight  anywhere?  In  Blackpool  we 
Avere,  but  she  wasn't  divorced  then.  Lord!  we  might  have 
gone  on  until  the  end  of  next  year,  and  he'd  have  got  tired 
of  her  by  that  time.     I  know  Dick." 

"  Quite  so,"  said  Dolly  reflectively,  "  and  as  it  was,  to 
make  up  the  time  they  had  to  leave  us  in  the  middle  of 
the  week  at  Bath." 

"But  how  do  you  think  she'll  play  the  Countess?" 
asked  Beaumont. 

"  Oh,  we  mustn't  speak  of  that  now  she's  going  to  be 
married,"  and,  thinking  he  could  not  better  this  last  re- 
mark, Mortimer  bade  the  ladies  good-by  and  went  off  with 
curls  and  coat-tails  alike  swinging  in  the  breeze.  Far- 
ther up  the  street  Beaumont  and  Dolly  were  joined  by 
Leslie,  Bret,  and  Dubois,  and  the  same  topics  were  again 
19 


290  A  Mummer's  Wife 

discussed.  "What  are  you  going  to  give?"  "Have  you 
bought  your  present?"  "Have  you  seen  mine?"  "Do 
you  know  who's  going  to  be  at  the  wedding  breakfast? 
They  can't  ask  more  than  a  dozen  or  so."  "  Have  you 
heard  that  the  chorus  have  clubbed  together  to  buy  Dick 
a  chain?  "  "  It  is  very  good  of  them,  but  they'll  feel  hurt 
at  not  being  asked  to  the  breakfast."  "  What  will  the 
Lennoxes  do?"  These  and  a  hundred  other  questions  of 
a  similar  sort  had  been  asked  in  the  dressing-rooms,  in  the 
wings,  in  the  streets,  at  every  available  moment  since 
Morton  and  Cox's  opera  bouffe  company  had  arrived  in 
Liverpool.  Everybody  professed  to  consider  the  event  the 
happiest  and  most  fortunate  that  could  have  happened, 
but  Mortimer's  words,  "  There's  many  a  slip  between  the 
ring  and  the  finger,"  recurred  to  them  whenever  the  con- 
versation came  to  a  pause,  and  they  hoped  the  marriage 
might  yet  be  averted  even  when  they  stood  one  bright 
summer  morning  assembled  on  the  stage,  there  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom.  The  name  of  the 
church  had  been  kept  a  secret,  and  all  that  was  known  was 
that  Leslie — who  had  joined  another  company  in  Liver- 
pool— Bret,  Montgomery,  and  Beaumont  had  gone  to  at- 
tend as  witnesses,  and  that  they  would  be  back  at  the  the- 
atre at  twelve  to  run  through  the  third  act  of  Olivette  be- 
fore producing  it  that  night. 

Many  false  alarms  were  given,  but  when  at  last  the 
bridal  party  walked  from  the  wings  on  to  the  stage  they 
were  received  with  cheers  and  long  congratulations. 
Dick's  appearance  provoked  a  little  good-natured  laughter, 
so  respectal)le  did  he  look  in  a  spick  and  span  new  frock- 
coat,  and  his  tall  hat,  much  too  small  for  him,  gave  a 
curiously  incongruous  look  to  his  big  face.  Kate  had 
never  looked  prettier;  Mortimer  said  her  own  husband 
would  not  know  her.  She  wore  a  dark  green  silk  plaited 
down  the  front,  from  underneath  which  a  patent-leather 
boot  peeped  as  she  walked;  a  short  jacket  showed  the 
drawing  of  her  shoulders,  the  delicacy  of  her  waist,  and 
the  graceful  fall  of  the  hips.  She  carried  in  her  hand  a 
bouquet  of  yellow  and  pink  roses,  a  present  from  Mont- 
gomery. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  291 

"  Now,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  won't  detain  you  long, 
but  do  let  us  run  through  the  third  act,  so  as  to  have  it 
right  for  the  night.  Montgomery,  will  you  oblige  me  by 
playing  over  that  sailor  chorus?  " 

Then,  to  the  tinkling  of  the  piano,  Dick  took  the  girls 
in  sections  and  placed  them  in  the  positions  he  desired 
them  to  hold. 

"  Now  then;  enter  the  Countess.  Who's  in  love  with 
the  Countess?  " 

"  Well,  if  you  don't  know,  I  don't  know  who  does,"  said 
Mortimer.  "  I  hear  you  have  been  swearing  all  morning 
'  till  death  do  us  part.'  " 

Eoars  of  laughter  greeted  this  pleasantry,  and  Dick  him- 
self could  not  refrain  from  joining  in  it.     At  last  he  said: 

"  Now,  Kate  dear,  do  leave  off  laughing  and  run  through 
your  song." 

"  I — I — ca — n't — can — 't ;  you — you — are — t — t — too  f  u 
— nny." 

"  We  shall  never  get  through  this  act,"  said  Dick,  who 
had  just  caught  Miss  Leslie  walking  off  with  Bret  into  the 
green-room.  "  Now,  Miss  Leslie,  can't  you  wait  until  this 
rehearsal  is  over?  " 

"  They'll  be  late  for  church  to-day;  they  may  as  well 
wait." 

Another  roar  of  laughter  followed  this  remark,  and  Kate 
said: 

"  You  had  better  give  it  up,  Dick,  dear;  it  will  be  all 
right  at  night.  I  assure  you  I  shall  be  perfect  in  my  music 
and  words." 

"  I  must  go  through  the  act.  The  principals  are  re- 
sponsible for  themselves,  but  I  must  look  to  the  chorus. 
Where's  that  damned  property-master?" 

On  the  subject  of  rehearsals  Dick  was  always  firm,  and 
seeing  that  it  could  not  be  shirked,  the  chorus  pulled  them- 
selves together,  and  the  act  was  got  through  somehow. 
Then  a  few  more  invitations  were  whispered  in  the  corners 
on  the  sly,  and  the  party  in  couples  and  groups  repaired 
to  the  Lennoxes'  lodgings.  Mortimer,  Beaumont,  Dick, 
and  Kate  walked  together,  talking  of  the  night's  show. 
Dubois  crushed  his  bishop's  hat  over  his  eyes,  straddled 


292  A  Mummer's  Wife 

his  ostler-like  legs,  and  discussed  Wagner's  position  in 
music  with  Montgomery  and  Dolly  Goddard.  A  baronet's 
grandson,  a  chorus-singer,  told  how  his  ancestor  had  won 
the  Goodwood  Cup  half  a  century  ago,  to  three  ladies  in 
the  same  position  in  the  theatre  as  himself.  Bret  and 
Leslie  followed  very  slowl}^,  apparently  more  than  ever 
enchanted  with  each  other. 

For  the  wedding  breakfast,  the  obliging  landlady  had 
given  up  her  own  rooms  on  the  ground-floor.  The  table 
extended  from  the  fireplace  to  the  cabinet,  the  panels  of 
which  Mortimer  was  respectfully  requested  not  to  break 
when  he  was  invited  to  take  the  foot  of  the  table  and  help 
the  cold  salmon.  The  bride  and  bridegroom  took  the 
head,  and  the  soup  was  placed  before  them;  for  this  was 
not,  as  Dick  explained,  a  breakfast  served  by  Gunter,  but 
a  dinner  suitable  to  people  who  had  been  engaged  for  some 
time  back.  At  this  joke  no  one  knew  if  they  should  laugh 
or  not,  and  Mortimer  slyly  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
company  to  Bret  and  Leslie,  who  were  examining  the  cake. 

Then  all  spoke  at  once  of  the  presents.  They  were  of 
all  sorts,  and  had  come  from  different  parts  of  the  country. 
Mr.  Cox  had  given  a  large  diamond  ring.  Leslie  had  pre- 
sented Kate  with  a  handsome  inkstand.  Bret  had  bought 
her  a  small  gold  bracelet.  Dubois,  whose  fancies  were 
light,  offered  a  fan;  Beaumont,  a  pair  of  earrings;  Hayes, 
a  cigarette  case;  Dolly  Goddard  a  paper-knife;  Mont- 
gomery, a  brooch  which  must  have  cost  him  at  least  a 
month's  salary.  Mortimer  exclaimed  that  his  wife  had 
been  behaving  rather  badly  lately,  and  that,  &c.  But  Dick 
could  not  listen  to  his  excuses,  so  overpowered  was  he  when 
he  found  on  the  table  a  thick  gold  chain  sent  to  him  from 
the  ladies  of  the  chorus.  Their  intention  had  been  in- 
geniously kept  a  secret,  and  resolving  that  the  surprise 
should  be  a  complete  one,  they  had  kept  back  their  gift 
till  the  last  moment.  The  kindness  of  the  girls  seemed  to 
affect  him  deeply,  and,  interrupting  Kate,  who  was  thank- 
ing her  friends  for  all  their  tokens  of  good-will,  he  said: 

"  I  must  really  thank  the  ladies  of  the  chorus  for  the 
very  handsome  present  they  made  me.  How  sorry  I  am 
that  they  are  not  all  present  to  receive  my  thanks  I  cannot 


A  Mummer's  Wife  393 

say;  but  those  who  arc  here  will,  I  hope,  explain  to  their 
comrades  how  we  were  pressed  for  place." 

"  One  would  think  you  were  refusing  a  free  admission," 
snarled  Mortimer. 

"  What  a  bore  that  fellow  is,"  whispered  Dick  to  Mr, 
Cox,  the  proprietor  of  the  company,  who  had  come  down 
from  London  to  arrange  some  business  with  his  manager. 

"  I  am  sure,  Mr.  Lennox,  we  were  only  too  glad  to  be 
able  to  give  you  something  to  show  you  how  much  we  ap- 
preciate your  kindness,"  said  a  tall  girl,  speaking  in  the 
name  of  the  chorus. 

"  We  must  have  some  fizz  after  the  show  to-night  on  the 
stage.  What  do  you  think.  Cox?  "  said  Dick.  "  And  then 
I  shall  be  able  to  express  my  thanks  to  every  one." 

"  And  we  must  have  a  dance,"  cried  Leslie.  "  My  foot 
is  all  right  now." 

To  seat  the  fifteen  people  who  had  been  invited,  chairs 
had  to  be  fetched  in  from  the  bedroom,  and  even  from  the 
kitchen.  They  were  a  curious  assortment.  The  ladies 
did  not  like  sitting  together,  and  the  supply  of  men  was 
not  sufficient.  But  these  were  slight  drawbacks,  and  when 
the  first  few  spoonfuls  of  soup  had  been  eaten  and  the 
sherry  tasted,  every  one  wanted  to  know  about  Mr.  Cox. 
The  women  examined  him  with  looks  of  deep  inquiry,  but 
his  face  told  them  nothing;  it  was  grave  and  commercial, 
and  he  spoke  little  to  any  one  except  Kate  and  her  hus- 
band. In  the  middle  of  the  table  the  baronet's  son  sat 
with  the  three  chorus-girls,  whom  he  continued  to  pester 
with  calculations  as  to  how  much  he  would  be  worth,  but 
for  his  ancestor's  ambition  to  win  the  Derby  with  Scotch 
Coast.  Leslie  and  Bret  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  wed- 
ding-cake, and  they  bent  and  leant  towards  each  other 
with  a  thousand  little  amorous  movements.  Beaumont 
and  Dolly  Goddard  spoke  vigorously  of  the  evening's  per- 
formance, and  the  former,  under  pretext  of  questioning 
Montgomery  on  certain  points  connected  with  the  singing 
of  one  of  her  songs,  strove  to  attract  Mr.  Cox's  attention. 

"  Do  you  think,  Mr.  Montgomery,  that  I  ought  to  take 
an  encore — that  is  to  say,  if  I  get  one — for  my  song,  '  The 


294  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Tori^edo  and  the  Whale  ? '  If  I  do,  will  it  interfere  with 
the  action  of  the  piece?  " 

"  I  never  heard  a  lady  putting  the  piece  before  herself," 
said  Montgomery,  with  a  loud  laugh.  He,  too,  was  anxious 
to  attract  Mr.  Cox's  attention,  and  availing  himself  of  Miss 
Beaumont's  question  as  a  "  lead-up,"  he  said,  "■  I  hope  that 
when  my  opera  is  produced  I  shall  find  artists  who  will  look 
as  carefully  after  my  interests." 

"  But  when  will  you  have  your  opera  ready?  "  said  Kate, 
who  saw  that  she  could  do  something  to  help  her  friend. 
Their  eyes  met  for  a  moment,  and  they  read  each  other's 
thoughts  in  a  look.  Montgomery's  were,  "  Oh,  how  bitter 
it  is  to  lose  you  like  this.  You  don't  know  how  I  love 
you.  No  one,  I  feel  sure,  could  make  you  as  happy  as  I 
could."  Hers  were,  "  I  am  so  sorry  for  you;  I  really,  really 
am.  I  know  that  you  like  me  very  much,  although  you 
never  told  me  so.  But  you  know  I  love  Dick.  Still,  I 
hope  we  shall  remain  good  friends." 

"  My  opera?  "  he  said,  as  soon  as  she  averted  the  brown 
eyes  that  burnt  into  his  soul.  "  It  is  all  finished.  It  is 
ready  to  put  on  the  stage  when  Dick  likes." 

The  ruse  proved  successful,  for  Mr.  Cox,  bending  for- 
ward, said  in  an  interested  voice: 

"  May  I  ask  what  is  the  subject  of  your  opera,  Mr.  Mont- 
gomery? " 

This  was  charming,  and  the  musician  at  once  proceeded 
to  enter  into  a  complicated  explanation,  in  which  frequent 
allusion  was  made  to  a  king,  a  band  of  conspirators,  a 
neighboring  prince,  a  beautiful  daughter  unfortunately  in 
love  with  a  shepherd,  and  a  treacherous  minister.  Beau- 
mont listened  wearily,  and,  seeing  that  no  mention  she 
could  make  of  her  singing  would  avail  her,  she  commenced 
to  fidget  abstractedly  with  one  of  her  big  diamond  ear- 
rings. In  the  meanwhile,  Montgomery's  difficulties  were 
increasing.  To  successfully  follow  the  somewhat  intri- 
cate story  of  king,  conspirators,  and  amorous  shepherd  a 
sustained  efi'ort  of  attention  was  necessary,  and  this  Dick, 
Kate,  and  Mr.  Cox  found  it  difficult  to  grant.  For  in  the 
middle  of  a  somewhat  involved  bit — in  which  it  was  not 
quite  clear  whether  the  king  or  the  minister  had  entered 


A  Mummer's  Wife  295 

disguised — the  landlady  would  beg  to  be  excused — if  they 
would  just  make  a  little  way,  so  that  she  might  remove  the 
soup. 

This  lady,  in  her  Sunday  cap,  assisted  by  the  maid-of- 
all-work,  from  whose  canvas-grained  hands  soap  and  water 
had  not  been  able  to  extract  the  dirt,  strove  to  lift  large 
dishes  of  food  over  the  heads  of  the  company.  There  was 
a  sirloin  of  beef  that  had  to  be  placed  before  Mortimer. 
Then  came  two  pairs  of  chickens,  the  carving  of  which 
Dick  had  taken  upon  himself.  A  piece  of  bacon  with  cab- 
bage, and  a  pigeon-pie,  adorned  the  sides  of  the  table. 
The  cutlets  were  handed  round. 

Then  for  some  time  conversation  gave  way  to  the  more 
necessary  occupation  of  eating;  but  as  it  had  been  arranged 
at  the  head  of  the  table  that  Montgomery  was  to  play, 
when  they  went  upstairs,  some  of  the  principal  numbers 
of  his  opera  over  to  Mr.  Cox,  silent  with  hope  he  applied 
himself  to  devouring  a  plate  of  beef.  Even  Bret  and 
Leslie  left  off  billing  and  cooing;  the  grandson  of  the 
baronet,  forgetful  of  his  family's  misfortunes  on  the  turf, 
dug  vigorously  into  and  liberally  distributed  the  pigeon- 
pie.  The  clattering  of  knives  and  forks  swelled  into  a 
sustained  sound,  which  was  only  broken  by  observations 
such  as  "  Thanks,  Mr.  Lennox,  anything  that's  handy — a 
leg,  if  you  please."  "  May  I  ask  you,  Montgomery,  for  a 
slice  of  bacon.  Xo  cabbage,  thank  you."  "  Mr.  Morti- 
mer, a  little  and  some  gravy;  that'll  do  nicely." 

It  was  not  until  the  first  helping  had  been  put  away, 
and  eyes  began  to  wander  in  search  of  what  would  be  best 
to  go  on  with,  that  conversation  was  resumed.  To  mollify 
Mortimer,  wdio  had  had  a  good  deal  of  trouble  with  the 
beef,  Dick  said,  ''  I  hope  you  are  satisfied  with  your  part, 
Mortimer,  and  that  we  shall  have  some  good  roars.  The 
piece  ought  to  go  with  a  scream." 

"  I  think  I  shall  knock  'em  this  time,  old  boy,"  said  the 
comic  man,  drawling  his  words  slowly  through  his  nose. 
"  It  pretty  well  killed  me  when  I  read  it  over  to  myself, 
so  I  don't  know  what  it  will  be  when  I  spit  it  out  at  them." 

This  was  deemed  unnecessarily  coarse,  and  for  a  moment 
it  was  feared  that  Mortimer  was  as  drunk  as  Mr.  Hayes, 


296  A  Mummer's  Wife 

whose  eyes  were  now  beginning  to  blink  pathetically.  He 
awoke  up,  however,  with  a  start  and  a  smile  when  the  first 
champagne  cork  went  off,  and  holding  out  his  glass,  said, 
"  Shall  be  very  glad  to  drink  your  health,  a  wedding  only 
comes  once  in  a  life." 

Mortimer  tried  to  turn  the  embarrassing  pause  that  fol- 
lowed this  remark  to  his  profit.  The  beef  having  kept  him 
silent  during  the  early  part  of  the  dinner,  he  resolved  now 
to  prove  what  a  humorist  he  was,  and  by  raising  his  voice 
he  strove  to  attract  to  himself  the  attention  of  the  com- 
pany. This,  however,  was  not  easily  done.  Dubois  had 
begun  to  pinch  the  canvas-handed  maid,  who  was  lifting 
a  plate  of  custards  over  his  head;  but  these  frivolities  did 
not  prevent  him  from  discussing  Carlyle's  place  in  English 
literature  with  the  baronet's  son  on  his  left,  and  arguing, 
from  time  to  time,  against  certain  effects  employed  by 
Wagner  in  his  orchestration  with  IMontgomcry  on  his  right. 
Kate  often  laid  down  her  spoon  and  starecl  vaguely  into 
space.  Under  the  table  she  had  laid  her  hand  on  Dick's, 
She  was  very  happy.  Her  life  seemed  to  her  ended — to 
have  been  perfectly  accomplished.  The  past  seemed  now 
to  be  completely  blotted  out.  What  more  could  she  de- 
sire? She  would  go  on  acting,  and  Dick  would  continue 
to  love  her.  By  some  special  interposition  of  Providence 
all  the  hazards  of  existence  over  which  she  might  have 
fallen  appeared  to  have  been  swept  aside.  What  broader 
road  could  a  woman  hope  to  walk  in  than  the  one  that  lay 
before  her  in  all  its  clear  and  bland  serenity?  Oh,  how 
good  God  had  been  to  her!  how  good  He  was  going  to  be! 
Her  child!  his  child!  What  sweetness  there  was  in  the 
words!  and  what  a  tie  it  would  be  to  them!  what  a  source 
of  future  happiness!  Would  it  not  give  them  courage  to 
work?  would  it  not  give  them  strength  to  live?  It  would 
be  something  to  hope  for.  Already  she  speculated  if  it 
would  be  a  boy  or  a  girl.  She  saw  herself  sitting  by  the 
cradle;  she  already  imagined  the  vacant,  staring  blue  eyes, 
and  felt  the  round,  plump  limbs.  Oh,  how  good  God  had 
been  to  her;  and  how  wicked  she  had  been  to  Him!  Tears 
dimmed  her  eyes,  and  her  heart  filled  with  a  fervor  of  faith 
she  had  never  felt  before;  and  facing  the  gracious  future 


A  Mummer's  Wife  297 

which  a  child  and  husband  promised  her,  she  offered  up 
thanksgivings  for  her  happiness,  which  she  accepted  as 
eternal,  so  inherent  did  it  seem  in  herself.  The  murmur 
of  friendly  voices  rang  in  her  ears;  she  looked  up  at  the 
table,  seeing  nothing  but  smiling  lips,  until  her  eyes  fell 
on  Mr.  Hayes.  His  face  was  now  nearly  hidden  in  his 
volumiDous  white  waistcoat,  and  a  richly-ringed  hand  ca- 
ressed the  famous  silky  beard. 

"  Oh,  just  look  at  him!  "  said  Kate,  waking  up  with  a 
start  from  her  reveries.  "  How  can  he  make  such  a  beast 
of  himself?" 

"  Don't  take  any  notice  of  him,  dear;  that's  the  best 
way." 

But  the  advice  came  too  late.  Mortimer,  who  had  been 
vainly  struggling  for  the  last  five  minutes  to  draw  Beau- 
mont from  the  memory  of  a  lord,  Dubois  from  his  Wag- 
nerian argument,  and  Bret  and  Leslie  from  their  flirtation, 
now  seized  on  poor  Hayes's  drunkenness  as  a  net  wherein 
he  could  capture  everybody.  Kaising  his  voice  so  as  to 
ensure  silence,  he  said,  addressing  himself  to  Mr.  Cox  at 
the  other  end  of  the  table,  "  How  very  affecting  he  is  now, 
how  severely  natural;  the  innocence  of  a  young  girl  in  her 
teens  is  not,  to  my  mind,  nearly  so  touching  as  that  of  a 
boozer  in  his  cups.  Have  you  ever  heard  how  he  fancied 
the  waiter  was  calling  him  in  the  morning  when  the  police- 
man was  hauling  him  off'  to  the  station?  " 

Mr.  Cox  had  not  heard;  and  consequently  the  whole 
story  of  how  they  bumped  in  the  hotel  door  at  Derby  had 
to  be  gone  through.  Having  thus  got  the  company  by  the 
ear,  Mortimer  showed  for  a  long  time  no  signs  of  letting 
them  go.  He  went  straight  through  his  whole  repertoire. 
He  told  of  a  man  who  wanted  to  post  a  letter,  but  not 
being  able  to  find  the  letter-box,  he  applied  to  a  police- 
man. The  bobby  showed  him  something  red  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  explained  that  that  was  the  post.  "  Keep  the 
red  in  your  eye,  my  boy,"  said  the  drunkard;  and  this  he 
did  until  he  found  himself  in  a  public-house  trying  to  force 
his  letter  down  a  soldier's  collar.  He  had  mistaken  the  red 
coat  for  the  pillar.  This  was  followed  by  a  story  of  a  man 
who  apologized  to  the  trees  in  St.  James's  Park,  and  ex- 


298  A  Mummer's  Wife 

plained  to  them  that  he  had  come  from  a  little  bachelor's 
party,  until  he  at  last  sat  down  saying,  "  This  no  good;  I 
mus — mush  wait  till  the  pro — prochession  has  passed." 
Mr.  Cox,  to  whom  these  anecdotes  were  all  new,  laughed 
prodigiously;  and  thus  encouraged,  Mortimer  told  stories 
of  tippling  drollery,  until  most  of  those  present  eyed  the 
champagne  as  if  considering  if  it  were  possible  to  drink 
themselves  out  of  their  misery.  The  men  especially  looked 
doleful,  for  they  well  knew  that  when  the  ladies  left  the 
room  Mortimer  would  start  his  series  of  dirty  stories,  and 
that  they  knew  could  be  prolonged  indefinitely. 

Montgomery's  face  especially  assumed  an  appearance  of 
extreme  dejection.  When  he  was  sad  his  long  nose  ap- 
peared to  grow  longer;  and  now  as  he  thought  of  his  opera, 
it  seemed  like  competing  for  length  with  Mortimer's  lo- 
quacity. Indeed,  there  were  times  when  the  musician 
looked  as  if  he  despaired  of  all  things,  and  when  he  gazed 
at  the  clock  his  face  was  expressive  of  the  most  utter 
misery.  But  a  heavy  digestive  indifference  to  everything 
was  written  on  each  countenance;  and  in  the  slanting  rays 
of  the  setting  sun  the  curling  smoke  vapors  assumed  the 
bluest  of  tints.  Odors  of  spirits  trailed  along  the  table- 
cloth. Disconnected  fragments  of  conversation,  heard 
against  the  uninterrupted  murmur  of  Mortimer's  story- 
telling voice,  struck  the  ear.  The  baronet's  son  was  now 
explaining  to  his  three  ladies  that  no  woman  could  expect 
to  get  on  in  life  unless  she  was  very  immoral  or  very  rich; 
Dubois  argued  across  the  table  with  Leslie  and  Bret  con- 
cerning the  poduction  of  the  voice;  Beaumont  exchanged 
luminous  and  provoking  glances  with  Mr.  Cox;  Dick  talked 
to  Kate  of  the  inartistic  methods  of  most  stage  managers 
in  arranging  the  processions.  Mr.  Hayes  slept  heavily, 
and  his  snores  were  beginning  to  attract  attention.  In 
Montgomery's  ears  they  sounded  as  music,  suggesting  as 
they  did  to  him,  a  possible  "  cue  "  for  the  break-up  of  the 
party.  If  they  delayed  much  longer  he  would  not  have 
time  to  play  his  opera  to  Mr.  Cox. 

It  was  Kate,  however,  who  first  read  the  meaning  of  his 
despairing  glances  at  the  clock,  and  she  whispered  to  Dick 
that  the  cake  had  not  yet  been  cut.     This  was  an  import- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  299 

ani  consideration,  and  when  she  rose  to  distribute  the 
white-sugared  emblem  of  love  and  fidelity  the  wedding 
party  awoke  to  a  burst  of  enthusiasm.  Every  one  sug^ 
gested  something,  and  much  whisky  and  water  was  spilt 
on  the  tablecloth. 

Bat  matters,  although  they  were  advanced  a  stage,  did 
not  seem  to  be  much  expedited.  The  bride's  health  had 
to  be  \drunk,  and  Dick  had  to  return  thanks.  He  did  not 
say  very  much,  but  his  remarks  concerning  Olivette  sug- 
gested a  good  deal  of  comment.  Mortimer  took  a  differ- 
ent view  of  the  question,  and  Dubois  explained  at  length 
how  the  piece  had  been  done  in  France.  Leslie  insisted 
that  Bret  should  say  something;  and  once  on  his  legs,  to 
the  surprise  of  everybody,  the  silent  tenor  became  of  the 
most  surprising  garrulity.  To  Montgomery  this  was  a 
terrible  ordeal.  His  waltz  tune,  his  opening  chorus,  his 
serenade,  were  running  together  in  his  head,  and  he  trem- 
bled with  excitement:  twenty  times  he  asked  himself, 
'"'Will  this  never  end?"  At  last,  in  pity  for  him,  Kate 
made  a  sign  to  the  ladies.  Then  skirts  swung  on  the 
dress-improvers,  color  disappeared,  and  the  room  was  left 
to  the  flat  chests  and  tweed  coats.  The  musician  prayed 
that  this  after-dinner  interval  would  not  prove  a  long  one; 
but  he  dreaded  the  dirty  stories,  and  the  door  was  no 
sooner  closed  than  they  began.  The  baronet's  son  sprang 
off  with  a  clear  lead,  watched  by  Mortimer  and  Dubois. 
In  the  way  of  anecdotes  these  two  would  have  been  rivals 
had  it  not  been  for  the  latter's  fancy  for  more  serious  dis- 
cussions. Still  in  the  invention  and  collection  of  the  most 
atrocious,  they  both  employed  the  energy  and  patience  of 
the  entomologist.  A  chance  word,  out  of  which  a  racy 
story  might  be  extracted,  was  pursued  like  a  rare  moth 
or  a  butterfly.  Dubois'  were  more  subtle,  but  Mortimer's 
being  more  to  the  point,  were  more  generally  effective. 

Eagerly  they  waited  for  the  baronet's  son  to  conclude, 
and  he  had  hardly  pronounced  the  last  phrase  when  Mor- 
timer, coming  with  a  rush,  took  the  lead  with  "  That  re- 
minds me  of ."    Dubois  looked  discomfited,  and  settled 

himself  down  to  waiting  for  another  chance.  This,  how- 
ever, did  not  come  just  at  once;  Mortimer  told  six  stories. 


300  A  Mummer's  Wife  ' 

each  nastier  than  the  last.  Everybody  was  in  roars  ex- 
cept Montgomery  and  Dubois;  whilst  one  thought  of  his 
opera,  the  other  raked  his  memory  for  something  that 
Avouki  out-Herod  Mortimer.  This  was  difficult,  but  when 
his  turn  came  he  surprised  the  company.  Mr.  Cox,  as  he 
leaned  over  the  table  with  a  glass  of  whisky  and  water  in 
his  hand,  declared  that  he  had  never  spent  so  pleasant  a 
day  in  his  life.  And  thus  encouraged  Dubois  was  just 
lieginning  to  launch  out  into  the  intricacies  of  a  fresh  tale 
when  Montgomery,  beside  himself  with  despair,  said  to 
Dick: 

"  It  was  arranged  that  I  should  play  the  music  of  my 
new  opera  over  to  Mr.  Cox.  If  you  don't  put  a  stop  to  this 
it  will  go  on  for  ever." 

"  Yes,  my  boy,  it  is  getting  a  bit  long,  isn't  it;  just  let 
Dubois  finish  and  we'll  go  upstairs." 

The  story. proved  a  weary  one ;  but  at  last,  like  a  long  rail- 
way journey,  it  drew  to  an  end,  and  they  went  upstairs. 
There  they  found  the  ladies  yawning  and  looking  at  the 
presents.  Kate  ran  to  Dick  to  ask  him  to  arrange  about  the 
music,  but  Beaumont  had  been  a  little  before  her  and  had 
taken  Mr.  Cox  out  on  the  balcony.  Bret  was  not  in  the 
room;  Leslie  did  not  know  the  music,  and  in  the  face  of 
so  many  difficulties,  Dick's  attention  soon  began  to  wander, 
and  Kate  was  left  to  console  the  disappointed  musician. 
Once  or  twice  she  attempted  to  renew  the  subject,  but  was 
told  that  they  were  all  going  down  to  the  theatre  in  half- 
an-hour,  that  it  had  better  be  put  off  to  another  time. 

Montgomery  made  no  asnwer,  but  he  could  not  cast  off 
the  bitter  and  malignant  thought  that  haunted  him,  "  I 
am  as  unfortunate  in  art  as  in  love." 


CHAPTER   XX 

HE  date  that  marked  the  turning  of  the  tide  of 
prosperity  that  till  now  had  favoured  the  "  Co." 
was  Kate's  marriage.  Somehow  things  did  not 
seem  to  go  well  after.  In  the  first  place  the  pro- 
duction of  Olivette  was  not  a  success.  Mortimer  was  drunk, 
did  not  know  his  words,  and  went  "  fluffing  "  all  over  the 
shop.  Kate,  excited  with  champagne  and  compliments, 
on  one  occasion  sang  the  wrong  music,  and  to  complete 
their  misfortunes,  the  Liverpool  public  did  not  in  the  least 
tumble  to  Miss  Beaumont's  rendering  of  the  part  of  the 
heroine.  The  gallery  thought  she  was  too  fat,  the  papers 
said  she  was  not  sprightly  enough,  and  on  Wednesday  night 
the  old  Cloches  had  to  be  put  up.  By  this  failure  the  man- 
agement sustained  a  heavy  loss.  They  had  laid  out  a  lot  of 
money  on  dresses,  property,  and  scenery,  all  of  which  were 
now  useless  to  them ;  and  the  other  two  operas,  having  been 
on  the  road  for  the  last  three  years,  were  beginning  to  droop 
and  lose  their  drawing  power.  The  country,  too,  was  suffer- 
ing from  a  great  commercial  crisis,  and  no  one  cared  to  go 
to  the  theatre.  In  many  of  the  towns  they  visited  strikes 
were  on,  and  the  people  were  convulsed  with  discussions, 
projects  for  resistance,  and  hopes  of  bettering  their  condi- 
tion. Great  social  problems,  the  tyranny  of  capital,  and 
such  like,  occupied  the  minds  of  men,  and  at  such  times 
there  was  naturally  little  taste  for  the  laughing  nonchalance 
of  La  Fille  de  Madame  Angot,  or  the  fooling  of  the  Baillie 
in  the  Cloches.  As  forty  thousand  men  had  struck  work, 
our  band  of  travelling  actors  rolled  out  of  Leeds,  and  they 
left  it  bearing  with  them  only  a  reminiscence  of  empty 
benches,  and  street-corners  crowded  with  idling,  sullen- 
faced  men.  At  Newcastle  they  were  not  more  fortunate, 
at  Wigan  they  fared  even  worse,  at  Hull  it  was  equally  had. 
Gayety  seemed  to  have  fled  out  of  the  north ;  the  public- 
house  and  the  platform  drew  away  the  pit  and  the  gallery ; 


302  A  Mummer's  Wife 

the  frequenters  of  the  boxes  and  dress-circle  remained  at 
home,  to  talk  around  their  firesides  of  their  jeopardized 
fortunes.  When  the  workers  grow  weary  of  work  a  hard 
time  sets  in  for  the  sellers  of  amusement,  and  the  fate  of 
Morton  and  Cox's  Operatic  Company  proved  no  excep- 
tion to  the  rule.  Money  was  made  nowhere,  and  every 
Friday  night  a  check  for  five-and-twenty  pounds  had  to  he 
sent  down  from  London  to  make  up  the  deficit  in  the  salary 
list.  For  two  months  matters  went  on,  nevertheless,  very 
smoothly.  The  remembrance  of  large  profits  made  in  pre- 
ceding years  was  still  fresh  in  thet  minds  of  Messrs.  Morton 
and  Cox,  and  hoping  always  that  business  would  soon  begin 
to  look  up,  they  did  not  grumble  much  at  losing  in  these 
hard  times.  But  still,  a  constant  drain  of  from  five-and- 
twenty  to  forty  pounds  a  week  soon  begins  to  tell,  and  after 
a  big  failure  in  the  City,  in  which  Mr.  Cox  was  mulcted 
to  the  extent  of  a  couple  of  thousand  pounds,  he  began 
writing  letters  full  of  uneasiness  to  Dick.  The  first  sug- 
gested that  they  had  better  look  out  for  another  opera. 
This  was  welcome  news  to  everybody;  but  no  sooner  had 
Dick  raised  Montgomery  to  the  seventh  heaven  of  bliss, 
than  he  had  to  knock  him  down  to  earth  again,  by  telling 
him  that  another  letter  had  arrived  from  Mr.  Cox,  saying 
that  no  opera  was  to  be  put  up ;  that  it  would  be  useless  to 
try  anything  new  in  such  bad  times ;  that  they  had  better 
try  to  reduce  expenses  instead. 

"  Eeduce  expenses  ?  I  don't  know  what  he  means.  How 
are  we  to  reduce  expenses  unless  we  reduce  the  salaries?  " 

"  Nor  do  I,"  said  Montgomery ;  "  but  the  expense  of 
mounting  my  piece  would  be  very  slight." 

Without  attempting  to  discuss  so  vain  a  question,  Dick 
said,  "  I  must  speak  to  Hayes." 

Hayes  was  sent  round  for.  He  pulled  his  silky  whiskers, 
blinked  his  Chinese  eyes,  drank  three  glasses  of  whisky, 
and  changed  the  position  of  his  black  bag  several  times; 
and  the  conversation  gradually  drifted  into  a  long  argu- 
ment concerning  the  morality  of  leading  actresses,  and  dur- 
ing the  afternoon  an  interesting  list  of  names  was  com- 
piled. 

This  was  an  agreeable  way  of  dealing  with  their  difficul- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  303 

ties,  and  the  matter  was  scarcely  alluded  to  again  until  the 
following  fortnight,  when  Dick  found  himself  forced  to 
write  to  Mr.  Cox,  demanding  a  check  for  thirty-live  pounds, 
to  meet  Saturday's  treasury  and  the  current  expenses  of  the 
following  week.  The  check  arrived,  but  the  letter  that  came 
with  it  read  very  ominously  indeed.    It  ran  as  follows : 

"  Dear  Mr.  Lenxox — I  enclose  you  the  required 
amount ;  but  of  course  you  will  understand  that  this  cannot 
go  on.  I  intend  running  down  to  see  you  on  Tuesday 
evening.  Will  you  have  the  company  assembled  to  meet 
me  at  the  theatre,  as  I  have  an  important  explanation  to 
make  to  them." 

Dick  had  had  too  much  experience  in  theatrical  specula- 
tions not  to  know  that  this  must  mean  either  a  reduction  of 
salaries  or  a  break-up  of  the  tour;  but  as  two  whole  days 
still  stood  between  him  and  the  evil  hour,  it  did  not  occur 
to  him  to  give  the  matter  another  thought,  and  it  was  not 
until  they  returned  home  after  the  theatre,  to  prepare  for 
the  Sunday  journey,  that  he  spoke  of  the  letter  he  had 
received  to  Kate. 

Their  portmanteaus  were  spread  out  before  them,  and 
Kate  was  counting  her  petticoats  when  Dick  said, 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Kate,  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  the 
company  broke  up  shortly,  and  we  found  ourselves  all  ob- 
liged to  look  out  for  new  berths." 

"  Wliat  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  said,  with  a  startled  look  on 
her  face. 

"  Well,  only  that  I  think  that  Morton  and  Cox  are  begin- 
ning to  get  tired  of  losing  money.  We  have  been  doing,  as 
you  know,  very  bad  business  lately,  and  I  think  they  will 
give  us  all  the  sack." 

"  Give  us  all  the  sack !  "  repeated  Kate,  mechanically. 

"  Yes,"  said  Dick,  pursuing  his  own  reflections,  "  I  am 
afraid  it  is  so.  It  is  a  deuced  bore,  for  we  were  very  pleas- 
ant together.  But  I  don't  think  I  showed  you  the  letter  I 
got  this  morning." 

Taking  it  from  his  pocket  he  read  it  aloud;  but  when  he 
raised  his  eyes  to  question  her  as  to  her  opinion  regarding 
it  he  could  only  ejaculate : 

"What's  the  matter,  dear?" 


304  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Pale  as  the  petticoat  at  her  feet,  Kate  stood  with  raised 
eyebrows  and  hands  that  twitched  at  the  folds  of  her  dress. 

"  Oh  Dick !  what  shall  we  do  ?  We  shall  starve ;  we 
sha'n't  have  any  place  to  go  to !  " 

"  Starve !  "  said  Dick  in  astonishment,  "  not  if  I  know 
it.  We  shall  easily  find  something  else  to  do.  Besides,  I 
don't  care  if  he  does  break  up  the  tour.  I  believe  there's 
a  good  bit  of  coin  to  be  made  out  of  the  pier  theatre  at 
Blackpool.  I've  been  thinking  of  it  for  some  time.  With 
a  good  entertainment,  you  know,  and  doing  it  as  I  should 
do  it.  Then  you  know  there's  the  drama  Harding  did  for 
me — a  version  of  Wilkie  Collins's  story — The  Yellow  Mash 
— devilish  good  it  is  too.  I  was  reading  it  the  other  day. 
We  might  take  a  company  out  with  it.  Let  me  see,  whom 
could  we  get  to  play  in  it  ?  ''  And,  sitting  over  his  port- 
manteau, the  actor  proceeded  to  cast  the  piece,  comment- 
ing as  he  went  along  on  the  qualifications  of  the  artists, 
and  giving  verbal  sketches  of  the  characters  in  the  play. 
"  Beaumont  would  play  Virginie  first  rate,  you  know — a 
strong,  determined,  wicked  woman,  who  stops  at  nothing 
I'd  like  to  play  the  father ;  Mortimer  would  be  very  funny 
as  the  uncle.  We'd  have  to  write  in  something  for  you. 
You  couldn't  take  the  sympathetic  little  girl  yet;  you 
haven't  had  enough  experience." 

Then  the  expenses  of  scenery,  properties,  and  posting 
were  gone  into,  and  different  estimates  were  cast  up  in  a 
dreamy  and  desultory  manner.  Kate  looked  at  her  husband 
vaguely,  and  plunged  in  a  sort  of  painful  wonderment, 
she  asked  herself  how  it  was  possible  to  stand  on  the  brink 
of  ruin,  and  thus  calmly  make  plans  for  the  future.  To  the 
actor,  whose  life  had  never  run  for  a  year  without  getting 
entangled  in  some  difficult  knot  or  other,  the  present  hitch 
did  not  give  the  slightest  uneasiness.  A  strange  town  to 
face  and  half-a-crown  in  liis  pocket  might  cause  him  some 
temporary  embarrassment,  but  a  hundred  pounds  at  the 
bank,  and  the  notoriety  of  having  been  for  two  years  the 
manager  of  a  travelling  company,  was  to  Dick  an  ex- 
ceptionally brilliant  start  in  life,  and  it  did  not  occur  to 
him  to  doubt  that  he  would,  as  soon  as  he  chose,  hop  into 
another  shop  as  good  as  the  one  he  had  left.     But  as  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  305 

woman  had  been  engaged  in  none  of  these  anxious  battles 
for  existence,  the  news  of  a  threatened  break  up  of  her 
world  fell  with  a  cruel  shock  upon  her.  She  experienced 
the  same  dull  nervous  terror  from  which  she  had  suffered 
in  the  early  days  when  she  had  first  joined  the  company, 
but  in  an  aggravated  form.  For  then  the  full  tide  of  love 
and  prosperity  bore  along  their  bark,  and  quieted  her  fears. 
But  now  in  the  first  puff  of  the  first  squall  she  saw  herself 
like  one  wrecked  and  floating  on  a  spar  in  a  wide  and  un- 
known sea  of  trouble.  What  was  to  become  of  them?  she 
asked  herself,  as,  sitting  on  the  bed  where  she  would  never 
sleep  again,  she  watched  Dick  counting  on  his  fingers  and 
looking  dreamily  into  the  spaces  of  some  impossible  future. 
The  robes  of  the  Bohemian,  for  the  twentieth  time  since 
she  had  donned  them,  fell  from  her,  and  she  became  again 
in  instincts  and  tastes  a  middle-class  woman  longing  for  a 
home,  a  fixed  and  tangible  fireside  where  she  might  sit  in 
the  evening  by  her  husband's  side,  mending  his  shirts,  after 
the  work  of  the  day.  A  sour  and  deaf  detestation  of  her 
wandering  life  rose  to  her  head,  and  she  longed  to  beg  of 
her  husband  to  give  up  theatricals,  and  try  and  find  some 
other  employment;  and  she  saw  herself  looking  after  the 
daily  household  duties  just  as  she  did  when  she  was  Ralph's 
wife.  She  reproached  herself  for  being  such  a  wicked 
woman,  and  it  appeared  to  her  more  than  usually  sinful  to 
drive  to  the  station  as  the  church  bells  were  chiming,  and 
spend  the  hours  that  should  have  been  passed  in  praying,  in 
playing  "  nap,"  smoking  cigarettes,  and  talking  of  wigs, 
make-ups,  choruses,  and  such  like.  But  apparently  there 
was  no  help  for  it,  and  on  Monday  night,  in  her  excitement, 
increased  by  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Cox,  she  could  not  help 
getting  out  of  bed  to  beseech  God  to  be  merciful  to  them : 
her  husband's  heavy  breathing  often  interrupted  her,  it 
told  her  that  he  was  her  husband,  that  was  her  only  consola- 
tion, and  it  proved  a  supreme  one. 

It  astonished  her  that  he  could  sleep  as  he  did,  having 
in  front  of  him  the  terrilile  to-morrow,  when  perhaps  Mr. 
Cox  would  cast  them  adrift ;  and  she  trembled  in  every  fibre 
when  she  stood  on  the  stairs  leading  to  the  manager's  room. 
There  was  a  great  crowd,  the  chorus-girls  wedged  themselves 
30 


306  A  Mummer's  Wife 

into  a  solid  mass,  and  niiirnmred  good  mornings  to  each 
other;  Mortimer  told  a  long  story  from  the  top  step,- Dubois 
tried  to  talk  of  Balzac,  whom  he  had  not  read,  to  Mont- 
gomery, who,  fancying  it  was  a  question  of  a  libretto,  lis- 
tened, at  once  puzzled  and  interested,  whilst  Bret,  till  now 
silent  as  the  dead,  suddenly  woke  up  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  would  probably  all  end  in  a  reduction  of  salaries.  At 
last  Dick  appeared  and  called  them  into  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Cox.  Whiskey  and  water  was  on  the  table,  and  with  the 
silky  whiskers  plunged  in  the  black  bag,  Mr.  Hayes  fum- 
bled aimlessly  with  many  papers.  The  "  boss,'^  looking 
very  grave,  twitched  at  a  heavy  mustache.  When  they  were 
all  grouped  about  him,  in  his  deepest  and  most  earnest 
tones,  he  explained  his  misfortunes.  For  the  last  four 
months  he  had  been  forced  to  send  down  a  weekly  check  of 
not  less  than  five-and-twenty  pounds,  sometimes,  indeed,  the 
amount  had  run  up  to  forty  pounds.  This,  of  course,  could 
not  go  on  forever,  he  had  not  the  Bank  of  England  behind 
him.  But  talking  of  l)anks,  although  there  was  no  reason 
why  he  should  inflict  on  them  an  account  of  his  bad  luck, 
he  could  not  refrain  from  saying  that  had  it  not  been  for 
a  certain  bank  (now,  alas !  well  known  to  fame)  he  should 
not  be  forced  to  ask  them  to  accept  half  salaries.  The  words 
brought  a  flush  if  indignation  to  Beaumont's  cheeks.  She 
made  a  slight  movement,  as  if  she  were  going  to  violently 
repudiate  the  suggestion,  but  the  silence  of  those  around 
calmed  her,  and  she  contented  herself  with  murmuring  to 
Dolly: 

"  This  is  an  old  dodge." 

"  I  will  leave  you  now,"  said  Mr.  Cox,  "  to  consult  among 
yourselves  as  to  whether  you  will  accept  my  proposal,  or  if 
you  would  prefer  me  to  break  up  the  tour  at  the  end  of  the 
week,  and  pay  you  your  fares  back  to  London." 

As  Mr.  Cox  left  the  room  there  was  a  murmur  of  inquiry 
from  the  chorus  ladies,  and  one  or  two  voices  heard  above 
the  rest  were  heard  saying,  that  they  did  not  know  how  they 
could  manage  on  less  than  five-and-twenty  shillings  a  week. 
These  objections  were  soon  silenced  by  Dick,  who  in  a  per- 
suasive little  speech  explained  that  the  reduction  of  salaries 
applied  to  the  principals  only. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  307 

"  Then  why  derange  these  ladies  and  gentlemen  by  ask- 
ing them  to  attend  at  this  meeting?  "  said  Mortimer. 

To  this  question  Dick  made  answer  by  telling  the  ladies 
and  gentlemen  of  the  chorus  they  might  withdraw,  and 
the  discussion  was  resumed  by  those  whom  it  concerned. 
Beaumont  objected  to  ever3i;hing.  Bret  spoke  of  going 
back  to  Liverpool.  Dubois  explained  his  opinions  on  the 
management  of  theatres  in  general,  until  Dick  summoned 
him  back  to  the  point.  Were  they  or  were  they  not  going 
to  accept  half  salaries?  At  length  the  matter  was  decided 
by  Mortimer  getting  upon  a  chair  and  shouting  through  his 
nose  as  through  a  pipe : — 

"  I  don't  know  if  you're  all  fond  of  hot  weather,  but  if 
you  are  you'll  find  it  to  your  taste  in  London,  all  the  the- 
atres are  closed,  and  the  cats  are  baking  on  the  tiles." 

This  brought  the  argument  to  a  pause,  during  which 
Beaumont  remembered  that  grouse  were  shot  in  August, 
and  settling  her  diamonds  in  her  ears,  she  agreed  that  the 
tour  was  to  be  continued.  A  few  more  remarks  were  made, 
and  then  the  party  adjourned  to  a  neighboring  "  pub  "  to 
talk  of  opera  bouffes  and  bad  business. 

The  next  places  they  visited  were  Huddersfield  and  Brad- 
ford, but  the  houses  they  played  to  were  so  poor  that  Mr. 
Cox  summoned  a  general  meeting  on  the  Sunday  morning, 
and  told  them  frankly  that  he  could  not  go  on  losing  money 
any  longer;  he  would  however  lend  them  the  dresses,  and 
they  might  start  a  commonwealth  if  they  liked.  After 
much  discussion  it  was  decided  to  accept  his  offer,  and  the 
afternoon  was  spent  in  striving  to  decide  how  the  business 
was  to  be  carried  on.  A  committee  was  at  last  formed. 
It  consisted  of  Dick,  Mortimer,  Dubois,  Montgomery,  Bret, 
and  Mr.  Hayes,  and  as  they  went  on  to  Halifax  by  an  eve- 
ning train,  they  settled  that  the  chorus  was,  hit  or  miss, 
to  be  paid  in  full,  and  the  takings  then  divided,  propor- 
tionately to  the  salary  previously  received,  among  the  prin- 
cipals. 

In  the  face  of  the  bad  times  it  was  a  risky  experiment, 
and  Williams,  the  agent  in  advance,  was  anxiously  looked  out 
for  at  the  station.  What  did  he  think  ?  Was  there  a  chance 
of  their  doing  a  bit  of  business  in  the  town?    Were  there 


308  A  Mummer's  Wife 

bills  up  in  all  the  public-houses  ?  Williams  did  not  at  first 
understand  this  unusual  display  of  eagerness,  but  when  the 
commonwealth  was  explained  to  him,  his  face  assumed  as 
grave  an  expression  as  the  pimples  would  allow  it.  He 
shoved  his  dust-eaten  pot  hot  on  one  side,  scratched  his  thin 
hair,  and  after  some  pressing,  admitted  reluctantly  that  he 
didn't  think  that  they  would  do  much  good  in  the  place ;  as 
far  as  he  could  see,  everybody's  ideas  were  on  striking  and 
politics;  the  general  election  especially  was  playing  the 
devil  with  managers,  at  least  that  was  what  the  company 
that  had  just  left  said. 

This  was  chilling  news,  and,  alas!  each  subsequent  eve- 
ning proved  only  the  correctness  of  Mr.  Williams's  anticipa- 
tions. Seven-pound  houses  were  the  rule.  On  Friday  and 
Saturday  they  had  two  very  fair  pits,  but  this  j30uld  not 
compensate  for  previous  losses,  and  in  the  end  when  all 
expenses  were  paid,  only  five-and-thirty  shillings  remained 
to  be  divided  among  the  principals.  Their  next  try  was  at 
Oldham,  but  matters  grew  worse  instead  of  better,  and 
on  Saturday  night  five-and-twenty  shilings  was  sorrowfully 
portioned  out  in  equal  shares.  It  did  not  amount  to  much 
more  than  half-a-crown  apiece.  Eochdale,  however,  was 
not  far  distant,  and,  still  hoping  that  times  woulcLmend, 
Morton  and  Cox's  band  of  travelling  actors  sped  on  their 
way,  dreaming  of  how  they  could  infuse  new  life  into  their 
mumming,  and  whip  up  the  jaded  pleasure-tastes  of  the 
miners.  But  for  the  moment  comic  songs  proved  weak 
implements  in  the  search  for  ore,  and  the  committee  sitting 
in  the  green-room,  used  likewise  as  a  dressing-room  by  the 
two  ladies,  counted  out  a  miserable  four-and-ninepence  as 
the  result  of  a  week's  hard  labour. 

Beaumont  fumed  before  the  small  glass,  and  arranged  her 
earrings  as  if  she  anticipated  losing  them;  Kate  trembled 
and  clung  to  her  husband's  arm,  Montgomery  cast  glances 
at  her  of  sentimental  admiration,  Mortimer  tried  to  think 
of  something  funny,  Dubois  came  to  the  point  by  asking: 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  four-and-nine- 
pence? it  is  not  worth  dividing.  I  suppose  we'd  better 
drink  it/' 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  309 

At  the  mention  of  drinks  Mr.  Hayes  blinked  and  shifted 
the  black  bag  from  the  chair  to  the  ground. 

"  Yes,  that's  easily  arranged,"  said  Dick,  "  but  what 
about  the  tour?  I  for  one  am  not  going  on  at  four-and- 
ninepence  a  week." 

"  Sp — Pend — it — in  drinks,"  stuttered  Mr.  Hayes, 
awakening  to  a  partial  sense  of  the  situation. 

Everybody  laughed,  but  in  the  pause  that  ensued  each 
returned  to  the  idea  there  was  no  use  going  on  at  four-and- 
ninepence  a  week. 

"  For  we  can't  live  on  drink,  although  Beaumont  can 
upon  love,"  said  Mortimer,  determined  to  say  something. 

But  the  joke  amused  no  one,  and  for  some  time  only  short 
and  irrelevant  sentences  broke  the  long  silences.  At  last 
Dick  said: 

''  Well,  then,  I  suppose  we'd  better  break  up  the  tour." 

To  this  proposal  no  one  made  much  objection.  Murmurs 
came  from  different  sides  that  it  was  a  great  pity,  after 
having  been  so  long  together,  that  they  should  have  to  part 
company  in  this  way.  Montgomery  and  Dubois  contributed 
largely  to  this  part  of  the  conversation,  and  through  an 
atmosphere  of  whiskey  and  soap-suds  arose  a  soft  penetrat- 
ing poetry  concerning  the  delights  of  friendship.  It  was 
very  charming  to  think  and  speak  in  this  way,  but  all  hoped, 
with  perhaps  the  exception  of  Montgomery,  that  no  one 
would  insist  too  strongly  on  this  point,  for  in  minds  of  all 
new  thoughts  and  schemes  had  already  begun  to  germinate. 
jVIortimer  remembered  a  letter  he  had  received  from  a  Lon- 
don manager;  Dubois  saw  himself  hobnobbing  again  with 
the  old  "  pals  "  in  the  Strand ;  Bret  silently  dreamed  of 
Miss  Leslie's  dyed  hair  and  blue  eyes,  and  of  his  chances  of 
getting  into  the  same  company. 

"  Then,  if  it  is  decided  to  break  up  the  tour,  we  must 
make  a  subcription  to  send  the  chorus  back  to  London," 
said  Dick  after  a  long  silence. 

Nobody  till  now  had  thought  of  thevse  unfortunate  people 
and  their  twenty-five  shillings  a  week,  but  Dick,  always 
ready  to  help  a  lame  dog  over  a  stile,  planked  down  two 
"  quid,"  and  called  on  the  others  to  do  what  they  could  in 
the  same  way.    Mr.  Hayes  strewed  the  table  instantly  with 


310  A  Mummer's  Wife 

the  money  he  had  in  his  pocket.  Mortimer  spoke  about  his 
wife  and  mentioned  details  of  an  intimate  nature  to  show 
how  hard  up  he  was,  he  nevertheless  stumped  up  a  "  thin 
'un."  Beaumont,  rampant  at  the  idea  of  "  parting,"  contri- 
buted the  same.  Indignant  looks  were  levelled  at  her,  and 
Dick  continued  to  exhort  his  friends  to  be  generous.  "  The 
poor  girls,"  he  declared,  "  must  be  got  home ;  it  woijld  never 
do  to  leave  them  starving  in  Lancashire.  Kate,  touched 
by  his  kindness,  gave  a  sovereign  of  her  savings,  and  in  this 
way  something  over  ten  pounds  was  made  up,  and  with  that 
Dick  said  he  thought  he  could  manage. 

This  man's  humanity  was  infinite;  the  trouble  he  took  to 
manage  everything  was  marvellous.  On  Sunday,  when  Kate 
was  at  church,  he  was  down  at  the  railway  station  trying 
to  find  out  what  were  the  best  arrangements  he  could  make, 
and  on  Monday  morning  when  they  were  all  assembled  on 
the  platform  to  bid  good-bye  to  their  fellow-workers,  it 
was  curious  to  see  this  huge  man,  who  at  a  first  impression 
would  be  taken  for  a  mere  mass  of  sensuality,  rushing 
about  putting  buns  and  sandwiches  into  paper  bags  for 
these  his  poor  chorus  girls,  encouraging  them  with  kind 
words,  and  when  the  train  began  to  move,  waving  them 
large  and  unctuous  farewells  with  his  big  hat. 

Kate,  who  since  the  first  shock  of  the  threatened  break 
up  of  the  tour,  had  gradually  grown  accustomed  to  the 
idea,  now  wept  in  silence.  Without  precisely  suffering 
from  any  pangs  of  fear  for  the  future,  an  immense  sadness 
seemed  to  ache  within  her  very  bones.  All  things  were 
passing  away.  The  flock  of  girls  in  whose  midst  she  had 
lived  was  gone,  a  later  train  would  take  Mortimer  to  Lon- 
don, Bret  was  bidding  them  good-by,  Beaumont  was  con- 
sulting a  "  Bradshaw."  How  sad  it  seemed.  The  theatre 
and  artists,  like  a  luminous  dream,  were  vanishing  into 
darkness.  Not  a  day,  nor  an  hour  could  she  see  in  front 
of  her. 

"What  shall  we  do  now?"  she  whispered  to  Dick,  as 
she  trotted  along  by  his  side. 

"  Well,  I  haven't  quite  made  up  my  mind.  I  was  think- 
ing last  night  that  it  wouldn't  be  a  bad  idea  to  make  up  a 
little  entertainment — four  or  five  of  us — and  see  what  we 


A  Mummer's   Wife  311 

could  do  in  the  manufacturing  towns.  Lancashire  is,  you 
know,  honeycombed  with  them.  Our  travelling  expenses 
would  amount  to  a  mere  nothing.  We  must  have  some 
one  to  operate  on  the  piano.  I  wonder  if  Montgomery 
would  care  about  coming  with  us." 

Kate  knew  perfectly  well  that  he  would,  and  as  she  hap- 
pened at  that  moment  to  catch  sight  of  the  long  tails  of 
the  Newmarket  coat  at  the  other  side  of  the  station,  she 
begged  of  Dick  to  call  to  the  erratic  musician.  No  sooner 
was  the  proposition  put  forward  than  it  was  accepted,  and 
in  five  minutes,  at  lunch  in  a  "  pub,"  they  were  arranging 
the  details  of  the  entertainment. 

"  We  shall  want  an  agent-in-advance,  a  bill-poster,  or 
something  of  that  kind,"  said  Montgomery. 

"I  have  thought  of  that,"  replied  Dick;  "Williams  is 
our  man,  he'll  see  to  all  that,  and  I  don't  know  if  you  know, 
but  he  can  sing  a  good  song  on  his  own  account." 

"Can  he?  Well  then  we  can't  have  any  one  better — 
and  what  shall  we  take  out?  " 

"  Well,  we  must  have  a  little  operetta,  and  I  don't  think 
we  can  do  better  than  Offenbach's  Breaking  the  Spell." 

"  Eight  you  are,"  said  Montgomery,  pulling  out  his 
pocket-book.  "Breaking  the  Spell,  so  far  so  good;  now 
we  must  have  a  song  or  a  character  sketch  to  follow,  and 
I  don't  think  it  would  be  a  bad  idea  if  we  rehearsed  a 
comedietta.     What  do  you  say  to  The  Happy  Pair?  " 

"  Eight  you  are,  pencil  it  down,  can't  do  better,  it  al- 
ways goes  well;  and  then  I  can  sing  between  '  The  Men 
of  Garlic' " 

Montgomery  looked  a  little  awry  at  the  idea  of  having 
to  listen  to  the  "  Men  of  Garlic,"  sung  by  Dick,  but  in  the 
discussion  that  followed  as  to  what  Kate  was  to  do,  the 
disagreeableness  of  the  prospect  was  lost  sight  of. 

As  Dick  anticipated,  Williams  declared  himself  de- 
lighted to  accompany  them  in  the  double  capacity  of  bill- 
poster and  occasional  singer;  and  after  a  fortnight's  re- 
hearsal at  Eochdale,  the  Constellation  Company  started  on 
its  wanderings.  Many  drinks  had  been  consumed  in  seek- 
ing for  the  name;  many  strange  combinations  of  sound 
and  sense  had  been  rejected,  and  it  was  not  until  Dick 


312 


1(4   Mummer's  Wife 


began  to  draw  lines  on  a  piece  of  paper,  affixing  names  to 
the  end  of  each,  that  the  word  suggested  itself.  What  joy! 
What  rapture!  A  rush  was  made  to  the  printers,  and  in 
a  few  hours  the  following  bill  was  produced — 

THE  CONSTELLATION  COMPANY. 
Miss  Kate  D'Arcy. 


Mr.  R.  Lennox. 


Mr.  P.  Montgomery. 


Mr.  B.  Williams. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

S  the  Constellation  Company  drove  to  the  station, 
Kate  pointed  out  to  Dick  the  curious  resem- 
blances that  connected  in  her  mind  Rochdale 
with  Hanley.  Being  still  a  little  superstitious, 
the  similarity  the  two  towns  bore  to  one  another  fright- 
ened her,  and  she  discovered  analogies  between  her  present 
departure  in  life,  and  that  she  had  made  a  year  and  a  half 
ago,  when  she  left  her  husband,  Ralph  Ede.  How  strange 
it  was!  Here  was  the  same  red  town,  narrow  streets,  built 
of  a  brick  that,  under  a  dull  sky,  glared  to  a  rich  geranium 
hue.  The  purplish  tints  of  Hanley  alone  were  wanting, 
but  the  heavy  smoke-clouds,  and  the  tall  stems  of  the 
chimneys,  were  as  numerous  in  Rochdale  as  in  her  native 
place.  And,  coincidence  still  more  marvellous,  nature 
had  apparently  helped  and  abetted  what  man's  hand  had 
contrived,  for  in  either  town  a  line  of  hills  swept  around 
the  sky.  The  only  difference  was,  that  the  characteristics 
of  Rochdale  were  not  so  marked  as  those  of  Hanley.  The 
lines  of  the  hills,  although  conceived  in  the  same  spirit, 
were  not  so  rigid  and  immutable  as  those  of  the  Stafford- 
shire town,  nor  did  the  Lancashire  valley  possess  the  same 
trenchlike  appearance,  as  that  which  engirdles  the  potter- 
ies. Perhaps  almost  as  much  smoke  hung  over  it;  but  it 
was  not  so  black  nor  so  arid.  Between  the  collections  of 
chimneys  there  were  green  undulations,  water  courses, 
trees,  and  stunted  hedges,  and  these  spread  away  until  they 
disappeared  amid  the  hills  which  in  their  turn  rolled  until 
lost  in  the  waves  of  the  surrounding  country.  Such  is 
Lancashire;  and  as  the  train  steamed  along  the  high  em- 
bankments, the  actors  talked  of  their  comic  songs. 

Dick  was  going  to  sing  "  The  Mulligan  Guards  "  with 
Kate,  and  he  pointed  out  during  the  course  of  the  journey 
how  admirably  suited  the  country  was  to  their  kind  of 
entertainment.     Towns  there  were  on  all  sides.     Under 


314  A  Mummer's  Wife 

the  green  waste  of  a  wold  a  chimney  had  been  run  up, 
sheds,  and  laborers'  cottages  had  followed,  and  in  five 
years,  if  the  factory  prospered,  this  beginning  would  swell 
into  a  village;  in  twenty,  it  would  possess  twenty  thousand 
inhabitants.  For  just  as  in  old  times  did  the  towns  follow 
the  castles,  so  now  do  they  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  fac- 
tories. Wolds  and  factories  everywhere;  the  arsenic  green 
sides  of  the  former  were  striped  with  rough  stone  walls, 
or  blackened  with  an  occasional  coal  pit;  the  ridges  were 
crested  with  trees,  blown  thin  by  the  sea  breezes;  whilst  in 
the  distance,  spread  like  pieces  of  a  broken  chain,  extended 
the  blue  sharp  lines  of  sheds  spiked  with  long  chimneys, 
and  crowned  with  the  lowering  smoke-cloud,  ever  exud- 
ing and  ever  staining  the  white-trailing  clouds  that  filled 
the  autumn  sky.  Cold  shafts  of  sunlight  strayed  for  a  mo- 
ment on  the  dead  green  of  the  fields,  pale  as  invalids  tak- 
ing the  air  for  the  last  time  before  a  winter's  seclusion; 
and  later  on,  when  the  light  mists  of  evening  enveloped 
the  forms  of  the  hills,  the  landscape  took  a  strange  swing- 
ing appearance,  producing  on  the  spectator  a  distinct  sen- 
sation of  mobility. 

The  first  town  the  Constellation  Company  stopped  at 
was  Bacup.  Williams,  who  had  gone  on  in  front,  met 
them  at  the  station.  He  declared  that  he  had  been  in 
every  public-house,  that  bills  had  been  distributed  every- 
where, and  that  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  they  would 
make  a  bit  of  money.  His  news  was  all  good  until  Dick 
asked  about  lodgings.  Then  his  pimples  grew  grave,  and 
he  confessed  that  he  did  not  know  what  they  should  do. 
There  was  but  one  hotel,  and  all  the  rooms  were  taken. 
Dick,  who  on  such  occasions  always  took  time  by  the  fore- 
lock, insisted  on  starting  at  once  on  their  search — and  up 
and  down  the  murky  streets  of  the  manufacturing  town 
they  walked  until  it  was  time  for  them  to  repair  to  the 
Mechanics'  Hall,  where  they  were  going  to  play,  and  get 
ready  for  the  entertainment. 

The  "  Mulligan  Guards  "  proved  a  great  success,  as  did 
also  the  operetta.  Breaking  the  Spell.  Kate's  pretty  face 
and  figure  won  the  hearts  of  the  factory  hands,  and  she 
was  applauded  to  the  echo  whenever  she  appeared  on  the 


A  Muminer's  Wife  315 

stage;  and  so  frequent  were  the  encores  that  it  was  half- 
past  ten  before  they  had  finished  their  programme,  and 
close  on  eleven  before  they  got  out  of  the  hall  into  the 
street.  Then  the  search  for  lodgings  had  to  begin  again. 
Montgomery  and  Williams,  being  single  men,  obtained 
beds,  but  Kate  and  Dick  were  not  so  easily  satisfied,  and 
they  found  themselves  standing  under  a  porch  with  the 
lights  going  out  on  all  sides,  and  a  wet  prospect  of  spend- 
ing the  night  in  the  street,  under  an  umbrella,  staring 
them  in  the  face.  At  last  Dick  bethought  himself  of  the 
police  station,  but  on  applying  to  a  policeman  he  was 
directed  to  the  back-door  of  a  public-house.  "  He  was 
pretty  sure,"  whispered  the  boy  in  blue,  "  to  get  put  up 
there."  The  door  was  opened  with  precaution,  and  they 
were  allowed  in.  The  place  was  full  of  people;  it  took 
them  a  long  time  to  get  served,  and  they  were  at  length 
told  that  in  the  way  of  a  room  nothing  could  be  done  for 
them.  Every  bed  in  the  house  was  occupied.  Kate  raised 
her  eyes  to  Dick,  but  her  look  of  misery  was  anticipated 
by  a  rough-faced  carter  who  stood  at  the  counter. 

"  You  bear  up,  little  woman,"  he  said  abruptly;  "  don't 
yo'  look  so  froightent.  Yo'  shall  both  come  up  to  my 
place,  if  yo'  will;  it  isna  up  to  much,  but  oi'll  do  th'  best  I 
can  for  yo'." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  kindness  with  which  the 
offer  was  made,  though  the  idea  of  going  to  sleep  at  this 
rough  man's  house  for  the  moment  staggered  even  the 
mummer.  But  as  it  was  now  clear  that  they  would  have 
either  to  accept  their  new  friend's  hospitailty,  or  spend 
the  night  on  a  doorstep,  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  de- 
cide on  the  former  alternative.  Their  only  reason  for 
hesitating  was  their  inability  to  understand  what  were  his 
motives  for  asking  them  to  come  to  his  place.  Then,  as 
if  divining  the  reason  of  their  uncertainty,  he  said: — 

"  I  know  yo'  well,  tho'  yo'  don't  know  me.  I  was  up  at 
the  'all  to-night,  and  yo'  did  make  me  so  laugh  that  I 
wouldna  see  yo'  in  the  streets  for  nothing.  Neaw,  let  it 
be  yea  or  nay,  master." 

For  answer,  Dick  put  out  his  hand;  and  when  he  had 
thanked  the  hospitably-inclined  carter  put  some  questions 


316  A  Mummer's   Wife 

to  him  about  the  entertainment.  Soon  the  two  began  to 
"  pal,"  and  after  another  drink  they  all  went  off  together. 

After  wading  down  a  few  sloppy  streets,  he  stopped  he- 
fore  a  low  doorway,  and  ushered  them  into  what  looked 
like  an  immense  kitchen.  They  saw  rafters  overhead  and 
an  open  staircase  ascending  to  the  upper  rooms,  as  might 
a  ladder  through  a  series  of  lofts.  When  a  candle  had 
been  obtained  the  first  thing  their  host  did  was  to  pull  his 
wife  out  of  bed,  and  insist  on  his  guests  getting  into  it,  a 
request  which  the  woman  joined  in  as  heartily  as  her  hus- 
band, when  the  reason  for  this  unceremonious  awakening 
had  been  explained  to  her.  And  so  wearied  out  were  Kate 
and  Dick,  and  so  tempting  did  any  place  of  rest  look  to 
them,  that  they  could  offer  no  opposition  to  the  kind  in- 
tentions of  their  host  and  hostess,  and  in  their  bed  they 
slept  heavily  until  roused  next  morning  by  a  loud  tram- 
pling of  feet  passing  through  their  room.  It  was  the 
family  coming  down  from  the  lofts  above,  and  as  they  de- 
scended the  staircase  they  wished  their  guests  a  broad 
Lancashire  good  morning. 

Then,  when  Kate  and  Dick  had  recovered  from  their 
astonishment,  they  dressed  and  went  out  to  buy  some  pro- 
visions, which  they  hoped  to  be  allowed  to  cook  in  the  rough 
kitchen;  but  when  they  returned  with  their  purchases  they 
found  the  carter's  daughter  standing  before  an  elaborately 
prepared  breakfast,  consisting  of  a  huge  beefsteak  and  a 
high  pile  of  cakes. 

"  Lor,  marm,  why  did  yo'  buy  thoose  things?  "  said  the 
girl,  disappointed. 

"  Well,"  said  Kate,  "  we  couldn't  think  of  trespassing 
on  you  in  that  fashion.  You  must,  you  will,  I  hope,  let  us 
prepare  our  own  breakfast." 

"  Feyther  will  never  'ear  of  it,  I  know,"  said  the  girl; 
and  immediately  after  the  carter  with  his  brawny  arms, 
pushed  Kate  and  Dick  down  into  two  seats  at  the  big  table. 
Both  cake  and  meat  were  delicious,  and  Dick's  appetite 
showed  such  signs  of  outdoing  the  carter's  that  Kate,  for 
mere  shame,  in  the  hope  of  diverting  attention,  commenced 
an  interesting  conversation  with  the  buxom  maiden  by  her 
side,  and  so  successful  were  her  efforts  at  agreeability  that 


A  Mummer's  Wife  317 

a  friendship  was  soon  established  between  the  women ;^  and, 
when  the  morning's  work  was  done,  Mary,  of  her  own  ac- 
cord, sought  out  Kate,  and  as  she  knitted  the  thick  woollen 
stocking,  was  easily  led  into  telling  the  inevitable  love 
story. 

We  change  the  surroundings,  but  a  heart  bleeds  under 
all  social  variations;  and  in  this  grim  manufacturing  town 
the  bridal  dress  seemed,  when  taken  out  of  its  lavender 
and  darkness,  to  possess  a  gleam  of  poetic  whiteness  that 
it  could  not  have  had  even  if  set  off  by  the  pleasant  verdure 
of  a  Devonshire  lane. 

"  But  you'll  keep  it  for  another;  another  will  be  sure  to 
come  very  soon,"  said  Kate,  trying  to  console. 

"  Nay,  nay,  I'll  have  no  other,"  said  the  girl.  "  I'll  just 
keep  the  dress  by;  but  I'll  have  no  other." 

Then  the  conversation  lapsed  into  a  long  narrative  con- 
cerning tender  hopes  and  illusions  not  broken  through 
until  the  party  assembled  before  the  altar  rails.  Kate 
listened,  as  all  women  do,  to  the  story  of  heart-aches  and 
deceptions,  and  in  after  years,  when  all  other  remem- 
brances of  the  black  country  were  swept  away,  the  souvenir 
of  this  white  dress  remained. 

From  Bacup  they  went  to  Whitworth,  a  town  in  such 
immediate  neighborhood  that  it  might  be  called  a  suburb 
of  the  former  place.  There  they  played  in  the  Co-opera- 
tive Hall,  to  an  audience  consisting  of  a  factory  man,  two 
children,  and  a  postman  who  came  in  on  the  free  list. 
This  was  not  encouraging;  but  they,  nevertheless,  resolved 
to  try  the  place  again;  and  next  day  at  dinner-time,  as  the 
"  hands  "  were  leaving  the  factories,  they  distributed  some 
hundreds  of  bills.  Dick  said  he  should  never  forget  it:  to 
watch  Pimply  Face  cutting  about,  shoving  his  bills  into  the 
women's  aprons,  was  the  funniest  thing  he  had  ever  seen 
in  his  life.  But  their  efforts  were  all  in  vain.  It  rained 
like  mad,  not  a  soul  came  to  see  them;  and,  in  addition 
to  their  other  troubles,  Whitworth  was  found  to  be  an  awk- 
ward place  to  stop  at.  Dick  and  his  wife  had  a  room  in  a 
pub;  Montgomery  and  Williams  had  to  walk  over  each 
c-vening  to  sleep  at  Bacup.  One  day  their  landlady  spoke 
of  Clayton-le-Moors.     A  fair,  she  said,  was  being  held,  and 


318  A  Mummer's  Wife 

she  advised  the  Constellation  Company  to  try  their  enter- 
tainment there.  This  was  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  sen- 
sible suggestion,  and  after  a  little  reflection,  on  the  top  of 
an  omnibus,  with  their  wigs  and  dresses  and  make-ups 
stuck  under  their  legs,  the  four  mummers  started  for  the 
fair.  It  was  a  magnificent  autumn  morning.  The  sun- 
light rolled  over  the  great  white  sides  of  the  booths,  Aunt 
Sallies  were  being  shied  at,  the  pubs  were  all  open,  and  a 
huge,  rollicking  population,  fetid  with  the  fermenting 
sweat  of  the  factories,  were  disporting  themselves  on 
whisky  and  fresh  air.  A  fairer  prospect  of  a  harvest  never 
buoyed  up  with  hope  the  spirits  of  dejected  strolling 
players.  The  next  thing  to  do  was  to  distribute  the  hand- 
bills, and  find  a  place  where  they  could  set  up  their  show. 
But  here  lay  the  difficulty,  and,  to  conduct  their  search 
more  thoroughly,  they  separated,  after  having  decided  on 
a  rendezvous.  In  this  way  the  town  was  thoroughly  ran- 
sacked; but  it  was  not  until  Kate,  who  had  gone  off  on  her 
own  accord,  learnt  from  the  landlord  of  a  public-house, 
where  she  had  entered  to  get  a  drink,  that  he  had  a  large 
concert-room  overhead,  that  there  seemed  to  be  slightest 
chance  of  the  Constellation  Company  being  able  to  turn 
the  joviality  of  the  factory  hands  at  the  fair  to  any  ac- 
count. Matters  seemed  now  to  be  looking  up,  and  a  very 
neat  little  arrangement  was  entered  into  with  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  pub.  It  was  as  follows.  Four  entertain- 
ments of  ten  minutes  each  were  to  be  given  every  hour, 
for  each  of  which  the  sum  of  threepence  a  head  was  to  be 
charged,  twopence  to  go  to  the  artists,  a  penny  to  the  land- 
lord, who  w^ould,  of  course,  make  his  "  bit "  also  out  of 
the  drink  supplied.  And  what  a  success  they  had  that 
day!  Not  only  did  the  factory  hands  come  in,  but  they 
paid  their  threepences  over  and  over  again.  Of  hearing 
Dick  and  Kate  sing  the  "  Mulligan  Guards "'  they  seemed 
never  to  grow  tired,  and  when  she  called  out  "  Corps," 
and  he  touched  his  cap,  and  they  broke  into  a  dance,  the 
delight  of  the  workpeople  knew  no  bounds.  Often  they 
stopped  the  entertainment  to  hand  up  their  mugs  of  beer 
to  the  mummers  with  a  "  'Ave  a  soop,  mon." 

From  twelve  o'clock  in  the  day  until  eleven  at  night 


A  Mummer's  Wife  319 

the  affair  was  kept  going;  Kate,  Dick,  and  Williams  danc- 
ing and  singing  in  turn,  and  Montgomery  all  the  while 
spanking  away  at  the  dominoes.  It  was  heavy  work,  but 
the  coin  they  took  was  considerable,  and  it  came  in  handy, 
for  in  the  next  three  towns  they  did  very  badly.  But  at 
Padiham,  a  curious  accident  turned  out  in  the  end  very 
luckily  for  them.  There  were  but  five  people  in  the  house, 
one  of  whom  was  drunk.  This  fellow  very  humorously 
in  the  middle  of  the  entertainment  declared  that  he  was 
going  to  sing  a  song.  He  even  wanted  to  appropriate 
Williams's  wig,  and  when  Dick,  who  was  always  chucker- 
out  on  such  occasions,  attempted  to  eject  him,  he  climbed 
out  of  reach  and  lodged  himself  in  one  of  the  windows. 
From  there  he  proceeded  to  call  to  the  people  in  the  street, 
and  with  such  excellent  result  that  that  evening  they  had 
£18  in  the  hall. 

This,  and  similar  slices  of  good  fortune,  kept  the  Con- 
stellation Company  rolling  from  one  adventure,  from  one 
town  to  another.  Sometimes  a  wet  day  came  to  their  as- 
istance;  sometimes  a  dispute  between  some  factory  hands 
and  the  masters  brought  them  a  little  money.  Their 
wants  were  simple;  a  bed  in  a  pub,  and  a  steak  for  dinner, 
was  all  they  asked  for.  But  at  last,  as  winter  wore  on, 
ill  fortune  commenced  to  follow  them  very  closely  and  per- 
sistently. They  had  been  to  four  different  towns  and  had 
not  made  a  ten  pound  note  to  divide  between  the  lot  of 
them.  In  the  face  of  such  adversity  it  was  not  worth 
while  keeping  on,  besides  Kate's  expected  confinement 
rendered  it  impossible  to  prolong  their  little  tour  much 
further.  For  these  reasons,  one  November  morning  the 
Constellation  Company,  hoping  they  would  soon  meet 
again,  under  more  auspicious  circumstances,  bade  each 
other  good-by  at  the  railway  station.  Williams  and  Mont- 
gomery went  to  Liverpool,  Kate  and  Dick  to  make  a  stay 
at  Eochdale,  where  they  had  heard  that  many  companies 
were  coming.  The  companies  came,  it  is  true,  but  they 
were,  unfortunately,  filled  up,  and  Lennox  and  his  wife 
could  not  get  an  engagement  in  any  of  them.  The  little 
money  saved  out  of  their  tour  enabled  them  to  keep  body 
and  soul  together  for  about  a  month;  but  in  the  fifth  week, 


320  A  Mummer's  Wife 

they  found  themselves  telling  the  landlady  lies,  and  going 
through  all  the  classic  excuses — expecting  a  letter  every 
day,  by  Monday  at  the  very  latest,  &c.  This  in  the  face 
of  Kate's  approaching  confLnement,  was  a  state  of  things 
that  made  even  Dick  begin  to  look  anxiously  round  and 
fear  for  the  safety  of  the  future.  Kate,  on  the  contrary, 
although  fretted  and  wearied,  took  matters  more  easily 
than  might  have  been  expected;  and  the  changing  of  their 
last  ten  shillings  frightened  her  less  than  had  the  first 
announcement  of  the  possible  breaking  up  of  Morton  and 
Cox's  Operatic  Company.  Bohemianism  had  achieved  in 
her  its  last  victory;  and  having  lately  seen  so  many  of  the 
difficulties  of  life  solving  themselves  in  ways  that  were 
inexplicable  to  her,  she  had  unconsciously  grown  to  think 
that  there  was  no  knot  that  chance,  luck,  or  fate  would 
not  untie.  Besides,  her  big  Dick's  resources  were  appar- 
ently unlimited;  the  present  weakness  of  her  condition 
tended  to  induce  her  to  rely  more  than  ever  upon  his  pro- 
tection; and  in  the  lassitude  of  weak  hopes,  she  contented 
herself  with  praying  occasionally  that  all  would  yet  come 
right.  But  her  lover,  although  he  told  her  nothing  of  his 
fears,  was  not  so  satisfied.  Never  before  had  he  been  quite 
so  hard  pressed.  They  owed  now  a  week's  rent,  besides 
other  small  debts;  all  of  which,  unless  they  pawned  the 
remainder  of  their  clothes,  they  were  unable  to  pay.  Far 
better,  he  said,  it  would  be  for  them  to  go  to  Manchester, 
leaving  their  things,  to  be  redeemed  some  day,  as  security 
with  the  landlady — that  is  to  say,  if  they  failed  to  get  out 
of  the  house  without  being  perceived  by  her.  Half-a- 
crown  still  remained  to  them  that  would  pay  Kate's  rail- 
way fare.  As  regards  himself,  Dick  proposed  that  he 
should  do  the  journey  on  foot;  he  would  be  able  to  walk 
the  distance  easily  in  three  hours,  and  would  at  eleven 
o'clock  join  his  wife  at  an  address  which  he  gave  her,  with 
many  injunctions  as  to  the  story  that  was  to  be  told  to  the 
landlady.  So,  as  the  clocks  were  striking  seven  one  cold 
winter's  morning,  they  stole  quietly  downstairs,  Dick  car- 
rying a  small  portmanteau.  On  the  table  of  their  room 
a  letter  was  left,  explaining  that  a  telegram  received  over 


"A  Mummer's  Wife  831 

night  called  them  to  Manchester,  but  that  they  hoped  to 
be  back  again  in  a  few  days — a  week  at  latest. 

This  assurance  Dick  considered  would  amply  satisfy  the 
old  dame,  and  holding  the  portmanteau  on  his  shoulder 
with  one  arm,  and  supporting  Kate  with  the  other,  he 
made  his  way  to  the  station. 

The  day  had  not  yet  begun  to  break.  A  heavy,  slug- 
gish night  hung  over  the  town.  The  streets  were  filled 
with  puddles  and  flowing  mud;  and  Kate  was  frequently 
obliged  to  stop  and  rest  against  the  lamp-posts.  She  com- 
plained of  feeling  very  ill,  and  she  walked  with  much  dif- 
ficulty. In  the  straggling  light  of  the  gas,  Dick  looked  at 
her  pale,  pretty  features,  accentuated  by  suffering;  he  felt 
that  he  had  never  known  before  how  dearly  he  loved  her, 
and  the  pity  for  her  that  filled  his  heart  choked  him  when 
he  attempted  to  speak:  and  his  eyes  misted  with  tender- 
ness. To  have  to  leave  her  now,  although  only  for  a  few 
hours,  seemed  to  him  brutality  that  was  utterly  unbear- 
able. He  thought  of  the  old  dodge  of  travelling  on  the 
luggage,  but  fearing  that  the  woman  to  whose  house  they 
were  going  would  not  let  them  in  unless  they  had  at  least 
one  portmanteau  to  show,  he  determined  to  adhere  to  the 
original  plan  of  sending  Kate  on  in  front.  Although  tor- 
tured by  atrocious  imaginings,  hiding  his  fears,  he  assured 
her  that  their  troubles  would  be  over  once  they  set  foot  in 
Manchester:  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  go  down  to  the  The- 
atre Eoyal  to  get  an  engagement.  So  kindly  did  he  speak, 
tliat  to  learn  that  he  loved  her  seemed  to  repay  her  for  her 
sufferings.  For  some  days  past  she  had  been  subject  to 
violent  naiTseas  and  acute  pains,  and  as  she  bade  him 
good-by  out  of  the  railway-carriage  window,  she  had  to 
bend  and  press  herself  against  it.  Dick  read  from  her 
face  what  was  passing,  and  he  strove  to  encourage  her  with 
a  few  words  of  hope.  But  a  cloud  of  deep  melancholy 
settled  upon  the  cheeks,  generally  so  restful  in  a  happy 
animality — yet  the  fat  hand  lifted  the  big-brimmiCd  black 
felt  hat,  the  frizzly  curls  blew  in  the  cold  wind,  the  train 
oscillated  and  then  rolled  and  disappeared  round  a  bend 
in  the  line.  That  was  all.  What  had  been  done  was  over, 
as  completely  as  the  splash  made  by  a  stone  dropped  into 
21 


323  A  Mummer's  Wife 

a  well,  and  the  actor  awoke  to  a  feeling  that  something 
new  had  again  to  be  begun. 

After  descending  the  steps  of  the  station,  he  asked  to  be 
directed,  and  bravely  he  started  to  walk  from  Rochdale  to 
Manchester.  For  a  long  time  his  way  lay  through  an  in- 
terminable street,  made  by  red  brick  houses  with  stucco 
porches;  but  at  length  these  commenced  to  divide  into 
cottages; — and,  curious  characteristic,  the  pavements  were 
lined  with  immense  flag-stones,  set  on  end  and  bound  to- 
gether with  iron  clasps.  After  many  inquiries,  he  was 
shown  into  what  he  was  told  was  an  old  Roman  road,  called 
''  Going  over  Tindel."  In  front  of  him  often  arose  the 
green  mass  of  a  hill  dirtied  with  tillage;  on  the  left 
stretched  a  wide  valley,  at  the  upper  end  of  which  lay 
Rochdale.  From  the  snow-patched  wolds  the  wind  blew 
Intterly,  and  into  a  murky  sky  the  trees  that  fretted  the 
higher  ridges  melted  like  veils  of  gray  lace. 

Walking  was  not  Dick's  forte.  He  was  out  of  condition. 
Each  steep  incline  deprived  him  of  breath.  Leaning 
against  a  farm  gate,  his  eyes  embraced  the  wild  black 
scenery,  and  remembrances  of  the  Hanley  hills  drifted 
through  his  thoughts.  There  were  the  same  rolling 
wastes,  and,  as  the  pieces  on  a  chess-board,  the  factory 
chimneys  appeared  at  irregular  intevals.  But  these  topo- 
graphical similarities  attracted  Dick  only  so  far  as  they 
lilled  his  mind  with  old  memories  and  associations,  and 
his  thoughts  flowed  from  the  time  he  had  stood  with  his 
wife  at  the  top  of  Market  Street  to  the  present  hour.  He 
neither  praised  nor  blamed  himself.  He  accepted  things 
as  they  were  without  criticism,  and  they  appeared  to  him 
like  a  turgid  dream,  swollen  and  bleak  as  the  confused  ex- 
panse of  distance  before  him.  The  stupor  into  which  he 
occasionally  fell,  endured  until  a  quick  thought  would 
strike  through  the  mental  gloom  that  oppressed  him,  and, 
relinquishing  the  farm  gate,  he  would  moodily  resume  his 
walk  through  the  heavy  slosh  of  the  wet  roads.  As  he  did 
so  his  thoughts  knotted  themselves  into  cruel  and  tortuous 
shapes.  The  vision  of  Kate's  pain-stricken  face  haunted 
him,  and  at  every  step  his  horror  of  the  danger  she  ran 
of  being  taken   ill  before  arriving  in   Manchester  grew 


A  Mummer's  Wife  333 

darker  and  deeper.  Dead  as  was  his  imagination  to  spirit- 
ual, it  was  quick  to  appreciate  all  pli3'sical  sufl'ering.  His 
pity  being  born  of  the  flesh,  concerned  itself  with  the  flesh, 
and  with  it  only,  and,  panting  and  blowing,  he  toiled  up 
hill  after  hill,  yearning  to  be  near  her,  desiring  only  the 
power  to  relieve  and  to  help.  Memories  of  all  he  had 
heard  and  read  of  what  was  a  woman's  agony  under  such 
circumstances  came  to  him  in  burning  flashes,  and  spurred 
him  on  like  a  jaded  horse  up  the  severe  roads.  Often  the 
intensity  of  his  longing  would  force  him  into  a  run,  and 
then  the  farm  laborers  would  turn  from  their  work  to  gaze 
on  this  huge  creature,  who  stood  on  a  hill-top  wearily 
wiping  his  forehead. 

In  those  moments  he  grew  sick  of  the  long  staring,  roll- 
ing landscape,  with  its  thousand  sinuosities,  its  standard 
trees,  its  detailed  foreground  of  scrub,  hedges,  brooks, 
spanned  by  small  brick  bridges,  the  melting  distance,  the 
murky  sky,  the  belching  chimneys:  he  asked  himself  if  it 
would  never  end,  if  it  would  never  define  itself  into  the 
streets  of  Manchester.  And  as  he  descended  each  incline 
his  eyes  searched  for  the  indication  of  a  town,  until  at  last 
he  saw  lines  of  smoke,  factories,  and  masses  of  brick  on  his 
left,  and  his  heart  big  with  expectation,  he  hastened  to- 
wards it.  All  the  markings  of  the  way  were  looked  for- 
ward to,  the  outlying  streets  were  deemed  interminable, 
and  so  great  was  his  hurry  that  before  he  discovered  he 
was  in  Oldham,  he  had  walked  into  the  middle  of  the 
town.  His  disappointment  was  bitter  and  black,  and  for 
the  moment  he  felt  that,  come  what  would,  he  could  go 
no  farther;  his  courage  was  exhausted,  it  was  impossible 
he  could  face  that  bleak  mocking  landscape  again.  Be- 
sides, he  was  fainting  for  want  of  food.  Had  he  possessed 
a  few  pence  to  treat  himself  to  a  glass  of  beer  and  a  bit 
of  bread  and  cheese,  he  thought  he  would  be  able  to  pull 
himself  together  and  make  another  effort;  but  he  was 
utterly  destitute.  Still  he  was  forced  to  try  again.  The 
thought  of  Kate  burned  in  his  brain.  After  having  in- 
quired the  way,  with  we'ary  and  aching  feet,  he  once  more 
trudged  manfully  on.  A  fretful  suspicion  that  she  might 
not  find  the  landlady  as  agreeable  as  would  under  the  cir- 


324  A  Mummer's  Wife 

cumstances  be  desirable  now  haunted  him.  He  reasoned 
with  himself  as  he  crossed  into  the  open  country,  until 
anxiety  became  absorbed  by  fatigue.  Of  every  passer-by 
did  he  ask  the  way,  and  as  he  passed  the  stately  villas  that 
heralded  the  presence  of  the  reeking  centre  of  commerce 
that  lay  behind,  Dick  felt  that  had  there  been  much  fur- 
ther to  walk  he  M'ould  have  had  to  beg  a  lift  from  one  of 
the  wagoners  who  constantly  passed  him  driving  their 
heavy  teams.  But  he  was  now  in  Manchester,  another 
half  hour  would  see  him  in  his  wife's  arms;  and  wonder- 
ing what  had  happened  since  their  parting,  he  stared  into 
the  shop  windows  in  search  of  a  clock.  He  had  taken 
longer  to  do  the  distance  than  he  had  expected.  It  was 
now  mid-day,  in  four  hours  anything  might  have  hap- 
pened, and  when  he  rang  at  the  door  of  the  lodging-house 
his  heart  beat  as  rapidly  as  the  jangling  bell  that  pealed 
through  the  house.  The  classic  maid-of-all-work,  be- 
grimed with  her  pots  and  pans,  answered  him,  and  in  reply 
to  his  questions  declared  positively  that  no  one  had  called 
that  morning,  and  that  she  had  heard  "  nothing  of  no 
lady." 

Had  the  world  suddenly  given  way  beneath  him  it  would 
not  have  been  to  him  a  more  complete  annihilation.  His 
brain  rocked,  and  it  was  only  by  a  violent  effort  that  he 
could  continue  his  questions.  Upon  cross  examination 
the  maid  admitted  that  she  had  been  out  on  an  errand, 
and  had  not  seen  missus  since  ten  o'clock.  It  was,  there- 
fore, possible  that  a  lady  might  have  called,  but  as  for 
being  in  the  house,  it  was  impossible,  for  they  were  as  full 
as  they  could  hold.  On  hearing  this  Dick  drew  a  deep 
breath  of  relief,  his  terror  faded;  and  the  view,  the  street, 
the  doorstep,  the  maid,  assumed  their  natural  appearance, 
just  as  if  they  had  been  lifted  out  of  a  fog. 

"  And  are  you  certain  that  a  lady  might  have  called 
about  ten  or  half-past  without  your  having  seen  her?  " 

"  I  was  out  of  a  herrant  at  that  time,  so  I  am  sure  they 
might,  for  missus  wouldn't  mind  to  tell  me  if  I  wasn't  to 
get  rooms  ready  for  them." 

"And  what  would  your  mistress  do  in  the  case  of  not 
being  able  to  supply  a  lady  with  rooms?  " 


A  Mummer's  Wife  325 

"  She  would  send,  I  should  think,  round  to  Mrs. 

well,  I  don't  remember  right  the  name." 

"  Do  you  know  the  address?  " 

"  I  know  it  is  behind  the  station,  one  of  those  streets 
Avhere — nay — but  I  don't  think  I  could  direct  you  right." 

'^Then  what  shall  I  do?" 

"  Missus  will  be  in  shortly.  If  you  will  take  a  set  in 
'all,  I  can't  ask  you  into  any  other  room,  they're  all  oc- 
cupied." 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  accept,  and  after  hav- 
ing asked  when  the  landlady  might  be  expected  in,  and 
receiving  the  inevitable,  "  Eeally  couldn't  say  for  certain, 
sir,  but  I  don't  think  she'll  be  long,"  he  sat  down  in  a 
chair.  His  thoughts  were  as  tired  as  his  body,  but  a  fero- 
cious anxiety  preyed  upon  him  and  allowed  him  no  rest. 
Visions  of  stretchers  and  hospital  doors  rose  before  his 
eyes,  and  the  high  shrieks  of  a  woman  in  labor  echoed  in 
his  ears.  Weary,  footsore  as  he  was,  there  were  times 
when  struck  by  a  sudden  thought  he  would  make  a  move- 
ment as  if  to  start  from  his  seat;  but  instantly  remember- 
ing his  own  powerlessness,  he  would  slip  back  into  his  at- 
titude of  heavy  fatigue.  In  the  dining-room  the  clock 
ticked,  and  he  listened  to  the  invincible  march  of  the 
minutes,  wondering  when  the  landlady  would  be  back,  tor- 
tured, by  the  idea  that  his  wife  was  suffering,  dying,  and 
that  he  was  not  near  to  help,  to  assist,  to  assuage.  He  for- 
got that  they  were  penniless,  homeless,  all  was  lost  in  a 
boundless  pity,  and  he  listened  to  the  footsteps  growing 
sharper  as  they  approached,  and  duller  as  they  went.  At 
last  the  small  sound  of  the  latchkey  was  heard  in  the  lock, 
and  Dick  started  to  his  feet.     It  was  the  landlady. 

"  Have  you  seen  my  wife?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  exclaimed  the  astonished  woman;  "  she  was 
here  this  morning,  all  our  rooms  are  let,  so  I  couldn't " 

"  Where  is  she  gone  to,  do  you  know?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  I  was  going  to  say,  she  asked  me  if  I  could 
recommend  her  to  some  quiet  place,  and  I  sent  her  to  Mrs. 
Hurley's." 

"  And  will  you  give  me  Mrs.  Hurley's  address?  " 

"  Yes  sir,  certainly;  but  if  I  may  make  so  bold,  you  are 


326  A  Mummer's  Wife 

looking  very  tired,  may  I  offer  you  a  glass  of  beer?  And 
Mrs.  Lennox  is  looking  very  bad  too,  she  is." 

"  I  am  much  obliged,  but  I  have  no  time,  if  you  would 
give  me  the  address?  " 

No  sooner  were  the  words  spoken  than,  forgetful  of  his 
aching  feet  Dick  rushed  away,  and  dodging  the  passers-by, 
he  ran  until  he  laid  hands  on  the  knocker  and  bell  in  ques- 
tion. 

"  Is  Mrs.  Lennox  staying  here  ?  "  he  asked  of  the  lady 
who  opened  the  door. 

"  There  was  a  lady  of  that  name  who  inquired  for  rooms 
here  this  morning." 

"  And  isn't  she  here?     Why  didn't  she  take  the  rooms?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  she  said  she  was  expecting  to  be  confined, 
and  I  didn't  care  to  have  illness  in  my  house." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  turned  her  out? 
Oh,  you  atrocious !     If  you  were  a  man— " 

Overpowered  with  rage  he  stopped  for  words,  and  the 
woman,  fearing  he  would  strike  her  strove  to  shut  the  door. 
But  Dick,  with  his  thick  leg,  prevented  her,  and  at  this 
moment  they  were  joined  by  the  maid,  who,  speaking  over 
her  mistress's  shoulder,  screamed: 

"  The  lady  said  she  would  come  round  here  in  a  couple 
o'  hours'  time  to  ask  for  you,  and  I  advised  her  to  try  for 
rooms  at  No.  28  in  the  street.     You'll  find  her  there." 

This  was  enough  for  Dick,  who,  loosing  his  hold  on  the 
door,  made  off;  streets,  carriages,  passers-by,  whirled  before 
his  eyes. 

"Is  Mrs.  Lennox  here?"  he  asked,  when  the  door  was 
opened,  so  roughly  that  the  maid  regretted  having  said  yes, 
when  the  word  had  passed  her  lips. 

"  On  what  floor?  " 

"  The  first,  sir;  but  you  had  better  let  me  go  up  first. 
Mrs.  Lennox  is  not  very  well;  she's  expecting  her  hus- 
band." 

"  I  am  her  husband." 

And  on  that  Dick  rushed  at  the  staircase.  A  few  strides 
brought  him  on  the  first  landing;  but  a  sudden  disappoint- 
ment seized  him — the  sitting-room  was  empty.  Thinking 
instantly  of  the  bedroom,  he  flung  open  the  door^  and  there 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  327 

he  saw  Kate,  rocking  herself  to  and  fro,  sitting  on  the  edge 
of  the  bed.  Uttering  a  faint  cry  of  mingled  feelings,  she 
rose  to  her  feet;  the  expression  of  weary  pain  was  changed 
to  one  of  illimitable  joy,  and  Dick  locked  her  in  his  arms. 

"  I  thought  you  would  never  come,  and  they  would  take 
me  in  nowhere." 

"  Yes,  my  darling,  I  know  all  about  it ;  I  know  all." 

Kisses  he  laid  gently  on  the  rich  black-blue  hair  and  the 
pale  tired  face ;  he  felt  light  hands  resting  on  him ;  she  felt 
strong  arms  clasped  about  her,  and  each  soul  seemed  to  be 
but  the  reflection  of  the  other,  just  as  the  sky  and  the  sea 
are  when  the  sun  is  at  its  meridian. 

Then,  as  this  brief  but  ineffable  moment  of  spiritual  uni- 
son faded  by  gentle  transitions,  words  returned  to  them, 
and  Kate  spoke  of  all  she  had  suffered.  She  whispered, 
fearful  lest  any  one  should  overhear,  the  story  she  had  told 
the  landlady,  and  how  she  had  ordered  a  big  dinner,  and 
everything  of  the  best,  so  that  they  might  not  be  suspected 
of  being  hard  up.  Dick  approved  of  these  arrangements; 
but  just  as  he  smacked  his  lips,  a  foretaste  of  the  leg  of 
mutton  in  his  mouth,  Kate  uttered  a  sort  of  low  cry,  and, 
turning  pale,  pressed  her  hands  to  her  side.  A  sharp  pain 
had  suddenly  run  through  her,  and  as  quickly  died  away; 
but  a  few  minutes  after  this  was  succeeded  by  another, 
which  lasted  longer  and  gripped  her  more  acutely.  Sup- 
porting her  in  his  arms ;  largely  and  tenderly,  he  helped  her 
across  the  room  and  laid  her  on  the  bed.  There  she  seemed 
to  experience  some  relief;  but  very  soon  she  was  again 
seized  by  the  most  acute  pangs.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she 
was  bound  about  with  a  buckler  of  iron.  Frightened,  Dick 
rang  for  the  landlady.  The  worthy  woman  saw  at  a  glance 
what  was  happening,  and  sent  him  off,  weary  as  he  was,  to 
fetch  a  doctor  and  the  needful  assistance. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

HE  doctor  and  nurse  arrived  almost  simultaneously, 
and  bidding  Dick,  who  came  running  upstairs 
a  moment  after,  be  of  good  cheer,  they  passed  into 
sick-room.  The  mummer  took  his  hat  from  his 
head  and  stood  for  a  moment  staring  vacantly  at  the  bed- 
room door,  as  if  striving  there  to  read  the  secrets  of  life, 
birth  and  death.  Then,  remembering  how  tired  he  was, 
with  a  large  movement  of  fatigue  he  sat  down  on  the  sofa. 
The  day  was  beginning  to  die,  and  a  gloomy  yellow  sky 
filled  the  room  with  an  oppressive  and  mournful  twilight. 
To  relieve  his  aching  feet  Dick  had  kicked  off  his  shoes,  and 
with  his  folded  arms  pressed  against  his  stomach  he  sat 
hour  after  hour,  too  hungry  to  sleep,  listening  to  the  low 
moaning  that  came,  as  if  from  some  hurt  animal,  through 
the  chinks  of  the  door.  He  appeared  to  be  totally  forgotten. 
Voices  whispered  on  the  staircase,  people  passed  hurriedly 
through  the  sitting-room,  but  none  asked  him  if  he  wanted 
anything;  no  one  even  noticed  him.  As  an  alien  he  was 
ignored  in  the  drama  that  was  being  enacted,  and  when  the 
landlady  lighted  the  gas  she  uttered  a  cry  of  astonishment, 
as  if  she  had  discovered  an  intruder  in  the  room. 

"  Oh,  lawks  !  Mr.  Lennox,  we  had  forgotten  all  about  you, 
and  you  sittin'  there  so  quiet.  But  your  wife  is  getting  on 
nice,  she  has  just  had  a  cup  of  beef  tea;  in  about  another 
couple  of  hours  it  will  be  all  over." 

"  Is  she  suffering  much  ?  " 

"  Well  sir,  yes,  I  wouldn't  consider  it  an  easy  confine- 
ment ;  but  I  think  it  will  be  all  right,  you  will  see  your  wife 
and  child  alive  and  well  to-morrow  morning." 

Dick  could  not  help  doubting,  unless  she  came  to  his  as- 
sistance with  food,  the  truth  of  the  woman's  statement. 
Although  almost  starving,  he  was  afraid  to  call  for  dinner 
lest  she  should  ask  him  for  some  money  in  advance,  but  at 
that  moment  a  cramp  seized  him,  and  turning  pale  he  had 


A  Mummer's  Wife  329 

to  lean  over  the  table  to  suppress  the  moan  which  rose  to  his 
lips. 

"  What's  the  matter,  sir  ?  You  look  quite  ill/'  the  woman 
asked. 

"  Oh,  'twas  only  a  sudden  pain,"  said  Dick,  making  an 
effort  to  recover  himself.  "  I  have  eaten  nothing  all  day — 
have  had  no  time,  you  know." 

"  Then  we  shall  liave  you  laid  up  as  well  as  your  wife, 
and  there's  the  leg  of  mutton  she  ordered  stewing  away  all 
these  hours.    I'm  afraid  you  won't  be  able  to  eat  it  ?  " 

Absurd  as  the  question  appeared  to  him,  Dick  answered 
adroitly, 

"  It  will  do  very  well,  if  you  will  briug  it  up  as  soon  as 
you  can ;  I  may  have  to  go  out." 

This  was  intended  as  a  ruse  to  deceive  the  landlady,  for 
so  tired  was  he  that  had  it  been  to  save  Kate's  life  he  did 
not  think  ho  would  have  walked  downstairs.  He  could 
think  of  nothing  but  putting  something  into  his  stomach, 
and  hard  and  dry  as  the  mutton  was  it  seemed  to  him  the 
most  delicious  thing  ho  had  ever  tasted.  His  pain  melted 
away  with  the  first  mouthful,  and  the  glass  of  beer  ran 
through  and  warmed  his  entire  system.  Down  the  great 
throat  the  victuals  disappeared  as  if  by  magic,  and  almost 
unheeded  passed  the  unceasing  cry  that  seemed  now  to  fill 
the  entire  house. 

For  a  moment  he  would  listen  pityingly,  and  then  like 
an  animal  return  to  his  food.  Slice  after  slice  had  been 
cut  from  the  joint,  he  thought  he  could  finish  it,  his  hunger 
seemed  to  grow  upon  him,  and  he  often  longed  to  take  the 
bone  in  his  hand  and  pick  it  with  his  teeth.  But  he  rea- 
soned with  himself ;  it  would  not  do  to  let  the  landlady  sus- 
pect they  had  no  money,  and  as  he  gazed  at  the  last  potato, 
which  he  was  afraid  to  eat,  he  considered  what  he  should 
say  in  apology  for  his  appetite ;  but  as  he  sought  for  a  nice 
phrase,  something  pleasantly  facetious,  he  remembered  the 
terrible  straits  he  was  in  for  want  of  money.  Money  he 
would  have  to  find  to-morrow — where,  he  could  not  say, 
but  money  he  would  have  to  find.  There  were  a  thousand 
things  that  would  have  to  be  paid  for — the  baby's  clothes, 
the  cradle,  the — ^he  tried  to  think  of  what  was  generally 


330  A  Mummer's  Wife 

wanted  under  such  circumstances,  but  the  cries  in  the  next 
room  which  had  gradually  swelled  into  shrieks,  appalled 
him.  Involuntarily,  like  a  flash,  the  thought  struck  him 
that  there  might  be  a  funeral  to  pay  for  as  well  as  a  birth. 

Clasping  his  hands,  he  moved  out  on  the  staircase  to  see 
if  he  could  find  the  landlady;  the  solitude  of  the  cold 
sitting-room  had  grown  intolerable.  As  he  was  about  to 
call  out,  the  bell  tinkled,  and  the  maid  came  running  up. 
She  carried  a  jug  of  hot  water  and  flannels  in  her  hand, 
and  pushing  past  him  she  declared  that  she  hadn't  a  mo- 
ment. Everybody  seemed  to  have  something  to  do  but 
him.  Returning,  he  sat  down  by  the  table  and  listened. 
The  door  of  the  bedroom  was  ajar.  The  room  was  full  of  a 
roseate  radiance.  A  fire  burned,  candles  flared  on  the  man- 
telpiece, a  basin  stood  on  the  floor,  and  at  times  nothing 
was  heard  but  a  long  moan,  mingling  with  the  murmuring 
voices  of  the  doctor  and  nurse.  The  place  seemed  like  a 
sanctuary  in  which  some  mysterious  rite  was  being  per- 
formed. But  suddenly  the  silence  was  broken  by  shrieks 
so  passionate  and  acute  that  all  the  earlier  ones  were  only 
remembered  as  feeble  lamentations.  Dick  raised  his  big 
face  from  his  hands,  the  movement  threw  back  the  shock 
mass  of  frizzly  hair,  and  in  the  intensity  of  his  emotion  he 
looked  like  a  lion. 

"  Was  this,  then,  life  ?  "  he  asked  himself,  "  or  death ; 
and  by  whose  order  was  a  human  creature  tortured  thus 
cruelly  ?  "  The  idea  of  God  did  not,  however,  arrest  his 
attention,  and  his  thoughts  fixing  themselves  on  the  child 
as  on  a  demon  of  malignity,  he  prayed  through  the  mystery 
of  birth  for  life.  What  was  this  new  life  ?  What  was  it  to 
him?  Could  it  not  exist  without  the  sacrifice  of  the  old? 
he  asked  himself;  and  for  a  lucid  interval  Such  reflections 
flowed  rapidly  and  nervously  through  the  actor's  heavy 
mind;  but  he  gradually  slipped  back  into  the  stupor  from 
which  they  had  raised  him,  and  was  not  again  aroused  until 
after  a  piercing  scream  he  heard  a  voice,  still  attuned  to 
the  scream  that  had  startled  him,  exclaiming : 

"  Oh,  I  never  will  again !  Oh,  how  I  hate  him — I  could 
kill  him !    I'll  never  love  him,  never  no  more." 

The  pealing  humanity  of  the  cry  touched  the  fat  mummer 


A  Mummer's   Wife  331 

through  all  the  years  of  gross  sensuality,  through  the  in- 
digestion of  his  big  dinner,  and,  struck  by  the  sense  of  her 
words,  he  shuddered,  remembering  that  it  was  he,  not  the 
innocent  child,  who  was  the  cause  of  this  outrageous  suffer- 
ing. Was  it  possible,  he  asked  himself,  that  she  would 
never  love  him  again?  He  didn't  know.  Was  it  pos- 
sible that  he  was  culpable  ?  Strange  notions  respecting  the 
origin,  the  scheme,  the  design  of  the  universe,  flashed  in 
dim  chiaro-oscuro  through  his  thoughts,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment he  pondered,  philosopher  like,  on  the  remote  causes 
and  the  distant  finalities  of  men  and  things.  The  scene 
was  at  once  real,  ideal,  cynical,  and  pathetic,  a  sample  slice 
from  the  incongruous  comedy  of  life. 

In  this  Avay  an  hour  full  of  moans  and  cries  of  suffering 
passed  painfully  away,  and  then  another  shriek  scat^tered 
Dick's  dreams  to  the  winds,  and  brought  him  with  a  shock 
to  earth ;  a  second  and  a  third  tortured  him  with  feelings  of 
pity  that  were  delirious  in  their  excess;  then  a  great  silence 
came,  and  the  whole  house  seemed  to  sigh  with  a  sense  of 
relief. 

"  The  baby  must  be  born  now,"  he  said ;  and  immediately 
after  a  little  thin  cry  was  heard,  and  in  his  heart  it  was  pro- 
longed like  a  note  of  gladness,  and  his  thoughts  became 
paternal.  He  wondered  if  it  were  a  girl  or  a  boy ;  he  fan- 
cied he'd  like  a  girl  best.  If  she  were  pretty,  and  had  a  bit 
of  a  voice,  he'd  be  able  to  push  her  to  the  front,  whereas  with 
a  boy,  that  was  more  difficult.  Eelinquishing  his  visions  at 
this  point,  Dick  listened  to  the  silence.  He  did  not,  with- 
out quite  knowing  why,  dare  to  knock  at  the  door,  but  the 
murmur  of  satisfied  voices  assured  him  that  all  was  right. 
Still  it  was  very  odd  that  they  did  not  come  put  and  an- 
nounce the  result  to  him.  ■  Did  he  count  for  nobody  ?  Did 
they  fancy  that  it  was  nothing  to  him  if  his  wife  and  child 
were  dead  or  alive?  The  idea  of  being  thus  completely 
unconsidered  in  an  affair  of  such  deep  concern  irritated 
him,  and  he  walked  towards  the  sofa  to  brood  over  his 
wrongs.  Should  he,  or  should  he  not,  knock  at  the  door? 
At  last  he  decided  that  he  should,  and,  after  a  timid  rap, 
tried  the  handle.  He  was  immediately  confronted  by  the 
nurse. 


383  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  It  is  all  right,  sir,  you  sliall  come  in  in  a  moment  when 
the  baby  is  washed." 

"  Yes,  but  I  want  to  know  how  my  wife  is." 

"  She  is  doing  very  well,  sir ;  you  shall  see  her  presently." 

The  door  was  then  gently  but  firmly  closed,  and  Dick  was 
kept  waiting.  Great  as  was  his  anxiety  to  see  his  wife, 
now  that  the  terror  of  losing  her  was  over,  the  fatigue  of  the 
day  began  to  press  upon  him,  and  when  the  nurse  called  for 
him  to  come  in,  almost  collapsing  under  it,  he  staggered  into 
the  room.  Pale  and  inert,  Kate  lay  amid  the  sheets,  her 
beautiful  black  hair  making  an  ink  stain  on  the  pillows. 
She  stretched  an  exhausted  hand  to  him,  and  looked  at  him 
earnestly  and  affectionately.  To  both  of  them  their  lives 
seemed  completed. 

"  Oh,  my  darling,  my  darling!  "  he  murmured;  and  his 
heart  melted  with  happiness  at  the  faint  pressure  of  fingers 
which  he  held  within  his.  The  nurse  standing  by  him  held 
something  red  wrapped  up  in  flannels.  He  scarcely  noticed 
it  until  he  heard  Kate  say : 

"  It  is  a  little  girl.    Kiss  it,  dear." 

Awkwardly  he  touched  with  his  lips  the  tiny  whining 
mass  of  flesh  the  nurse  held  forward,  feeling,  without  know- 
ing why,  ashamed  of  himself. 

"  Hearing  that  madam  was  taken  all  unexpected,  I 
brought  these  flannels  with  me,"  said  the  large  woman  with 
the  long-tailed  cap ;  "  but  to-morrow  I  can  recommend  you, 
if  you  like,  sir,  to  a  shop  where  you  can  get  everything 
required." 

This  speech  brought  Dick  with  a  cruel  jerk  to  the  brink 
of  the  atrocious  situation  in  which  he  had  so  unexpectedly 
found  himself.  To-morrow  he  would  have  to  find  money, 
and  a  great  deal  too.  How  he  was  going  to  do  it  he  did 
not  know,  but  money  would  have  to  be  found. 

"  Yes,  yes ;  to-morrow  I'll  see  to  all  that,"  he  said,  awak- 
ening from  his  lethargy,  like  a  jaded  horse  touched  in  some 
new  place  by  the  spur,  "  but  now  I'm  so  tired  I  can  scarcely 
speak." 

"  That's  so,"  said  tlie  landlady.  "  These  walking  tours 
is  dreadful.  He's  been  over  from  Eochdale  to-day,  not 
counting  the  runnin'  about  he  did  after  his  wife.     You 


A  Mummer's  Wife  333 

know  tlipy  refused  to  take  her  in  at  number  fifteen.  But,  sir, 
I  don't  well  know  how  we  shall  manage.  I  don't  see  how 
I  am  to  offer  you  a  bed.  The  best  I  can  do  for  you  is  to 
make  you  up  something  on  the  sofa  in  the  parlor." 

"  Oh,  the  sofa  will  do  very  well.  I  think  I  could  sleep 
on  the  tiles;  so  good-night  dear,"  he  said  as  he  leaned  and 
kissed  his  wife;  "I'm  sorry  to  leave  you  so  soon." 

"  It  isn't  a  bit  too  soon,"  said  the  doctor,  "  She  must  lie 
still  and  not  talk." 

On  this  Dick  was  led  away.  The  nurse  and  doctor  con- 
sulted by  the  bed  where  the  woman  would  lie  for  days, 
too  weak  even  to  dream,  while  the  man  went  off  into  the 
Manchester  crowd  to  search  for  food.  Beyond  the  bare 
idea  of  "going  down  to  see  what  they  were  doing  at  the 
theatres,"  he  had  no  plans.  The  scavenger  dog  that  prowls 
about  the  gutter  in  search  of  offal  could  not  have  less.  But 
he  felt  sure  that  something  would  turn  up ;  he  was  certain 
to  meet  someone  to  whom  he  could  sell  a  piano  or  for  whom 
he  could  build  a  theatre.  He  never  made  plans.  There  was 
no  use  in  making  plans ;  they  were  always  upset  by  an  acci- 
dent. Far  better,  he  thought,  to  trust  to  the  inspiration  of 
the  moment;  and  when  he  awoke  in  the  morning,  heavy 
with  sleep,  he  felt  no  trepidation,  no  fear  beyond  that  of 
how  he  should  get  his  sore  feet  into  his  shoes.  It  was  only 
with  a  series  of  groans  and  curses  that  he  succeeded  in  doing 
this,  and  the  limps  by  which  he  proceeded  down  the  street 
were  painful  to  watch.  At  the  stage-door  of  the  Theatre 
Eoyal  a  conciliatory  tone  of  voice  was  mechanically  as- 
sumed as  he  asked  the  porter  if  Mr.  Jackson  was  in.  But 
before  the  official  could  answer,  Dick  caught  sight  of  Mr. 
Jackson  coming  along  the  passage. 

"  How  do  you  do,  old  man  ?  Haven't  seen  you  for  a  long 
time." 

"  What  you,  Dick,  in  Manchester  ?  Come  and  have  a 
drink,  old  man.  Very  glad  to  see  you.  Stopping  long 
here?" 

"  Well,  I'm  not  quite  decided.  My  wife  was  confined, 
you  know,  last  night." 

"  What !  you  a  father,  Dick  ?  " 

Leering,  Mr.  Jackson  poked  him  in  the  ribs,  and  com- 


334  A  Mummer's  Wife 

iiieiiced  a  list  of  anecdotes.  To  these  Dick  had  to  listen, 
and,  in  the  hopes  of  catching  his  friend  in  an  unwary  mo- 
ment of  good-humor,  he  laughed  heartily  at  all  the  best 
points.  But  digressive  as  conversation  is  in  which  women 
are  concerned,  sooner  or  later  a  reference  is  made  to  the 
cost  and  the  worth,  and  at  last  Mr.  Jackson  was  incautious 
enough  to  say: 

"  Very  expensive  those  affairs  are,  to  be  sure." 

This  was  the  chance  that  Dick  was  waiting  for,  and  im- 
mediately buttonholing  his  friend  he  said : 

"  You  are  quite  right,  they  are ;  and  to  tell  you  the  truth, 
old  man,  I'm  in  the  most  devilish  awkward  position  I  ever 
was  in  my  life.  You  heard  about  the  breaking  up  of 
Morton  and  Cox's  company  ?    Well,  that  left  me  stranded." 

At  the  first  words  gayety  disappeared  from  Mr.  Jackson's 
face,  and  during  Dick's  narrative  of  the  tour  in  Lancashire 
he  made  many  ineffectual  wriggles  to  get  away.  Judging 
from  these  well-known  indications,  that  to  borrow  money 
might  be  attended  with  failure,  Dick,  after  a  pathetic 
description  of  his  poverty,  concluded  with : 

"  So  now,  my  dear  fellow,  you  must  find  something  for 
me  to  do.  It  does  not  matter  what — something  temporary 
until  I  can  find  something  better,  you  know." 

It  was  difficult  to  resist  this  appeal,  and  after  a  moment's 
reflection  Mr.  Jackson  said  r-^- 

"  Well,  you  know  we're  all  made  up  here.  There's  a 
small  part  in  the  new  drama  to  be  produced  next  week,  but 
I  wouldn't  like  to  offer  it  as  it  is,  but  I  might  get  the  author 
to  write  it  up." 

"  It  will  do  first-rate.  I'm  sure  to  be  able  to  make  some- 
thing of  it.    What's  the  screw  ?  " 

"  That's  just  the  point.  We  can't  afford  to  pay  much  for 
it;  our  salary  list  is  too  big  as  it  is." 

"  What  did  you  intend  giving  for  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  we  meant  to  give  it  to  a  super,  but  for  you  I  can 
have  it  written  up.    What  do  you  say  to  two-ten  ?  " 

Dick  thought  it  would  be  judicious  to  pause,  and  after  a 
short  silence  he  said : — 

"  I've  had,  as  you  know,  bigger  things  to  do ;  but  I'm 
awfully  obliged  to  you,  old  pal.    You  are  doing  roe  a  good 


A  Mummer's  Wife  335 

turn  that  I  slia'n't  forget:  we  can  consider  the  matter  as 
settled." 

This  was  a  stroke  of  luck,  and  Dick  congratulated  himself 
warmly,  until  he  remembered  that  £3  10s.  at  the  end  of  next 
week  did  not  put  a  farthing  into  his  present  pocket.  Money 
he  would  have  to  find  that  day,  how  he  did  not  know.  He 
called  upon  everybody  he  had  ever  heard  of;  he  visited 
all  the  theatres  and  ball-rooms,  drank  interminable  drinks, 
listened  to  endless  stories,  and  when  questioned  as  to  what 
he  was  doing  himself,  grew  delightfully  mendacious,  and, 
upon  the  slight  basis  of  his  engagement  for  the  new  drama 
at  the  Eoyal,  constructed  a  fabulous  scheme  for  the  pro- 
duction of  new  pieces.  In  this  way  the  afternoon  went  by, 
and  he  was  beginning  to  give  up  hopes  of  turning  over  any 
money  that  day,  when  he  met  a  dramatic  author.  After  the 
usual  salutations — "  How  do  you  do,  old  boy  ?  How's  busi- 
ness ?  "  &c. — had  been  exchanged,  the  young  man  said  : — 

"  Had  a  bit  of  luck ;  just  now  sold  my  piece ;  you  know 
the  drama  I  read  you,  the  one  in  which  the  mother  saves 
her  child  from  the  burning  house  ?  " 

"  How  much  did  you  get  ?  " 

"  Seventy-five  pound  down,  and  two  pounds  a  night." 

At  the  idea  of  so  much  money  Dick's  eyes  glistened,  and 
he  immediately  proceeded  to  unfold  a  scheme  he  had  been 
meditating  for  some  time  back  for  the  building  of  a  new 
tlieatro.  The  author  listened  attentively,  and  after  hav- 
ing dangled  about  the  lamp-posts  for  half  an  hour,  they 
mutually  agreed  to  eat  a  bit  of  dinner  together  and  after- 
wards go  home  and  read  another  new  piece  that  was.  so  said 
the  fortunate  author,  a  clinker.  No  better  excuse  than  his 
wife's  confinement  could  be  found  for  fixing  the  rendezvous 
nt  the  young  man's  lodging,  and  in  the  enthusiasm  which 
tlie  reading  of  the  acts  engendered,  it  was  easy  for  Dick  to 
ask  for,  and  difficult  for  his  friend  to  refuse,  a  check  for 
£15. 


CHAPTEE    XXIII 

N"  about  a  week  Kate  was  sufficiently  restored  to  sit 
up  in  bed.  Her  very  weakness  and  lassitude  were 
a  source  of  happiness;  for,  after  long  months  of 
turmoil  and  racket,  it  was  sweet  to  lie  in  the 
lucid  dreaminess  of  the  covertures,  and  suffer  her  thoughts 
to  grow  out  of  unconsciousness  or  sink  back  into  it  without 
an  effort.  Then  from  these  twilight  trances  flowed  im- 
perceptibly another  period,  when  with  coming  strength 
awoke  in  her  a  feverish  love  for  the  little  baby-girl  who 
lay  sleeping  by  her  side.  For  hours  in  the  reposing  ob- 
scurity of  the  drawn  curtains  mother  and  child  would  re- 
main hushed  in  one  long  warm  embrace.  To  see,  to  feel, 
this  little  life  moving  against  her  side  was  enough.  She 
looked  not  into  the  future  nor  thought  of  what,  fate  the 
years  held  in  store  for  her  daughter,  but  lost  in  emotive  con- 
templation, watched  the  blind  movements  of  hands  and 
the  vague  staring  blue  eyes,  content.  This  puling  pulp,  in 
which  there  was  life  that  was  hers,  developed  in  her  un- 
imaginable yearnings,  and  she  often  trembled  for  pride  in 
being  the  instrument  through  which  was  worked  so  much 
mystery.  Knowing  nothing  of  children,  to  talk  of  the  dark 
dawn  of  creation,  and  of  the  day  sweet  with  maternal  love 
that  lay  beyond,  was  to  Kate  a  source  of  infinite  joy.  To 
hear  the  large,  ho1:)bling  woman  tell  of  the  different  babies 
she  had  successfully  started  that  year  on  their  worldly 
pilgrimage,  seemed  never  to  weary  Kate.  She  interested 
herself  in  each  special  case,  and  when  the  nurse  told  her 
she  must  talk  no  more  she  lay  back,  held  as  if  by  a  sort  of 
secret  affinity,  to  dream  of  the  great  boy  with  the  black  eyes 
who  had  so  nearly  been  the  death  of  his  little  flaxen-haired 
mother. 

She  felt  great  interest  in  this  infant,  who,  if  he  went  on 
growing  at  the  present  rate,  it  was  prophesied  would  be  in 
twenty  years'  time  the  biggest  man  in  Manchester.    But  on 


A  Mummer's  Wife  337 

questioning  the  nurse,  it  was  admitted  that  all  the  children 
were  not  so  strong  and  healthy.  Indeed,  it  was  only  last 
week  that  a  little  baby  she  had  brought  into  the  world  per- 
fectly safely  had  died  within  a  few  days  of  its  birth,  for  no 
cause  that  anyone  could  discover.  It  had  pined  away  just 
like  a  flower.  The  tears  rolled  down  Kate's  cheeks  as  she 
listened,  and  she  pressed  her  own  against  her  breast  and 
insisted  on  nursing  it,  although  expressly  forbidden  to  do 
so  by  the  doctor. 

These  days  were  the  best  of  her  life.  She  felt  more  at 
peace  with  the  world,  she  placed  more  confidence  in  her  hus- 
band than  she  had  ever  done  before;  and  when  he  came  in 
of  an  afternoon  and  sat  by  her  side  and  talked  of  herself 
and  of  their  little  baby,  softened  in  all  the  intimate  fibres 
of  her  sex,  she  laid  her  hand  in  his,  and  sighed  for  sheer 
joy.  The  purpose  of  her  life  seemed  now  to  show  a  definite 
sign  of  accomplishment. 

The  only  drawback  to  their  happiness  was  their  poverty. 
The  fifteen  pounds  of  borrowed  money  had  gone  through 
their  hands  like  water,  and  had  Dick  not  been  iortunate 
enough  to  make  another  "  tenner  "  by  looking  after  a  piece 
given  at  a  morning  performance,  they  would  never  have 
been  able  to  manage.  ^A^^at  with  the  doctor's  bill,  the 
nurse's  wages,  the  baby's  clothes,  they  were  forever  break- 
ing into  their  last  sovereign.  Dick  spoke  of  their  difficulties 
as  little  as  possible.  He  would  not  have  mentioned  them  to 
her  had  he  not  felt  that  he  had  exhausted  all  his  sources 
of  getting  money,  and  that  there  was  no  prospect  of  their 
being  able  to  pull  through  unless  Kate  were  shortly  able  to 
accept  an  engagement.  He  often  spoke  to  her  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  although  she  was  now  up  and  apparently  well, 
she  always  answered  with  a  "  Yes,  dear,  I  hope  I  shall  be 
"well  enough  to  go  to  work  again  soon."  She  would  not, 
nevertheless,  fix  a  day,  or  even  allow  Dick  to  speak  to  the 
managers  about  her.  The  idea  seemed  distasteful,  and  she 
would  invent  all  sorts  of  plausible  excuses.  Vfho  was  there 
to  mind  the  baby?  If  they  had  nurse  back  again  it  would 
cost  them  a  pound  a  week,  pretty  near;  and  then  there  was 
the  chance  of  her  knocking  herself  up,  and  that  would  be 
far  worse  than  the  loss  of  a  miserable  three  pounds  a  week 
23 


338  A   Miimmer's   Wife 

she  should  get  for  phiying  some  trumpery  little  part.  Be- 
sides, she  did  not  wish  to  let  herself  down  in  the  profession. 
She  had  been  playing  leading  parts,  and  it  would  not  do 
to  accept  the  first  thing  that  she  could  get. 

A  month  passed  away,  and  Kate  grew  more  than  ever 
averse  to  all  j^roposals  to  go  hack  to  work.  When  Dick  tried 
to  persuade  her  to  keep  her  name  before  the  public,  she 
answered  that  she  had  not  yet  recovered  from  her  confine- 
ment— that  she  had  worked,  as  it  was,  too  much  last  year, 
that  she  wanted  a  rest.  Never  since  she  had  left  Hanley 
had  they  been  so  long  stationary,  and  in  the  pause  frag- 
ments of  the  wreck  of  her  old  life  commenced  to  float  up 
through  the  new  to  the  surface.  She  began  to  look  after 
the  housekeeping,  and  her  fingers  seemed  to  itch  for  the 
needle  and  thread.  She  insisted  on  mending  Dick's  clothes, 
and  she  made  hoods  and  shoes  for  the  baby.  Her  manner 
of  thought,  of  speech,  was  marked  everywhere  with  traces 
of  a  curious  return  to  her  first  life.  She  no  longer  played 
in  opera  bonfire,  but  in  domestic  drama ;  and  although  the 
reality  of  her  hearth  was  little  more  than  that  of  a  stage 
property,  still  when  she  sat  by  her  fireside  reading  a  novel, 
you  saw  reflected  in  Mrs.  Lennox  a  curious  likeness  of  the 
Mrs.  Ede  of  former  days.  Even  her  taste  for  flction  was  re- 
produced. While  she  was  touring  about  the  country  she 
had  unconsciously  given  up  reading ;  once  she  had  bought  a 
copy  of  the  Famihj  Herald,  hoping  that  it  would  help  her  to 
kill  an  hour  or  so  in  the  train,  but  it  had  failed  to  flx  her 
attention.  The  weak,  airy  sentimentality,  that  used  to  divert 
her  when  she  was  with  Ealph,  had  seemed  to  her  when  she 
was  with  Dick,  unreal,  uninteresting.  Her  own  life  was 
then  a  strange  romance,  and  so  much  more  glaring  was  it 
in  its  contrasts,  so  infinitely  deeper  in  its  humanity,  that 
the  frail  girls  of  the  story-book  could  not  satisfy  her  mind 
in  the  hot  days  of  desire ;  l)ut  now  in  the  laxity  of  its  eve- 
ning, when  the  turmoil  of  a  noisy  afternoon  was  remem- 
bered only  like  the  murmur  of  a  low  tide  rippling  under 
the  sunset,  the  grace,  the  peace,  the  goodness  of  the  heroes 
and  heroines,  who  lived  unsullied  by  any  too  dark  stain 
of  humanity  in  a  sweetly  regulated  world  of  copvention, 
enraptured  and  fascinated  her. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  33f) 

She  wondered  why  she  had  neglected  her  hooks  so  long. 
And  towards  the  end  of  these  stories  there  were  allusions 
to  mothers.  She  was  a  mother  now,  and  in  the  drift  of  her 
dreams  could  see  a  blissful  future  made  of  children's 
smiles;  she  heard  their  glad  laughter  ringing  down  the 
procession  of  the  years,  felt  their  soft  cheeks  against  hers, 
their  chubby  warm  bodies  upon  her  knees;  and  when  she 
raised  her  eyes,  a  tear  of  joy  fell  upon  the  page,  and  then 
in  the  effusion  of  these  sensations  she  would  take  her  little 
girl,  that  she  had  till  now  forgotten,  and  press  it  almost 
wildly  against  her  breast. 

It  was  a  small  weakly  little  thing,  out  of  whose  white 
wax  complexion  shone  the  violet  blue  e3^es  it  had  inherited 
from  its  father.  And  before  leaving,  the  nurse  had  given 
Kate  many  directions  about  the  baby.  It  was  to  have  its 
bath  in  the  morning,  to  be  kept  thoroughly  clean;  it  was 
to  be  given  its  bottle  when  it  cried.  These  instructions 
Kate  did,  in  a  sort  of  way,  fulfill,  but  not  being  used  to 
children  she  did  not  readily  divine  the  baby's  wants,  and 
she  often  put  either  too  much  or  too  little  watex  in  the 
feeding  bottle.  She  was  devoted  to  her  child,  but  the  atten- 
tion she  gave  it  was  unpractical  and  unsustained. 

The  christening  had  awakened  in  her  many  forgotten 
emotions,  and  now  that  she  was  an  honest  married  woman, 
she  did  not  see  why  she  should  not  resume  her  old  church- 
going  ways.  The  story  she  was  reading  was  full  of  allusions 
to  the  vanity  of  this  world  and  the  durability  of  the  next ; 
and  thus  encouraged,  Kate  bought  a  Bible  and  spent  the 
long  evenings  when  Dick  was  at  the  theatre  with  it  on  her 
knees.  It  made  her  feel  she  was  doing  something,  and  cer- 
tain passages  were  for  her  so  filled  with  memories  that  in 
reading  them  she  felt  her  being  evaporate  into  a  cloud  of 
happiness. 

Her  feet  on  the  fender,  penetrated  with  the  dreamy 
warmth  of  the  fire,  she  abandoned  herself  to  the  seduction 
of  her  reveries.  Everything  conspired  against  her.  Being 
still  very  weak  the  doctor  had  ordered  her  to  keep  up  her 
strength  with  stimulants;  a  tablespoonful  of  brandy  and 
water  taken  now  and  then  was  what  was  required.  This 
was  the  ordinance,  but  the  drinks  in  the  dressing-rooms 


340  A  Mummer's  Wife 

liad  taught  lier  the  comforts  of  such  medicines,  and  dur- 
ing the  day  several  glasses  were  consumed.  Without  getting 
absolutely  drunk,  she  rapidly  sank  into  sensations  of  numb- 
ness, in  which  all  distinctions  were  blurred,  and  thoughts 
trickled  and  slipped  away  like  the  soothing  singing  of  a 
brook.  It  was  like  an  amorous  tickling,  and  as  her  dreams 
balanced  between  a  tender  declaration  of  love  and  the 
austere  language  of  the  Testament,  the  crying  of  the  sick 
child  was  unheeded. 

Once  Kate  did  not  hear  it  for  hours;  she  did  not  know 
she  had  forgotten  to  warm  its  milk,  and  that  the  poor  little 
thing  was  shivering  with  cold  pain.  At  last  she  awoke,  and 
going  over  to  the  cot  tried  to  collect  her  drink-laden 
thoughts.  The  little  legs  were  drawn  up,  the  face  was  like 
ivory,  and  a  long  thin  wail  issued  from  the  colorless  lips. 
Alarmed,  Kate  called  for  the  landlady,  who,  after  feeling 
the  bottle  advised  that  the  milk  should  be  warmed.  \Vlien 
this  was  done  the  child  drank  a  little  and  appeared  re- 
lieved. 

vShortly  after  a  bell  was  heard  ringing,  and  the  landlady 
said : — 

"  I  think  it's  your  husband,  ma'am." 

It  was  usual  for  Dick,  when  he  came  in  at  night,  to  tell 
what  Kate  termed  "  the  news."  It  amused  her  to  hear  what 
had  been  done  at  the  theatre,  what  fresh  companies  had 
come  to  town.  On  this  occasion  it  surprised  him  that  she 
took  so  little  interest  in  the  conversation,  and  after  hazard- 
ing a  few  remarks  he  said: 

"But  what's  the  matter,  dear,  aren't  you  well?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am  quite  well,"  Kate  answered  stolidly. 

"  Well,  what's  the  matter;  you  don't  speak?  " 

"  I'm  tired,  that's  all." 

"And  how's  the  baby?" 

"  I  think  she's  asleep ;  don't  wake  her." 

Dick  went  over,  nevertheless,  and  holding  a  candle  in  one 
hand  he  looked  long  and  anxiously  at  his  child. 

"  I'm  afraid  the  little  thing  is  not  well,  she's  fidgetting, 
and  is  as  restless  as  possil)le." 

"  I  wish  you  would  leave  her  alone ;  if  she  awakes,  it  is 


A  Mummer's  Wife  341 

I  who  will  have  the  trouble  of  it,  not  you.  I  have  been 
minding  her  all  day.     It's  very  unkind  of  you." 

Dick  looked  at  his  wife  astonished.  He  at  first  fancied 
he  must  be  mistaken,  and  said  nothing;  but  as  she  con- 
tinued to  speak,  the  evideuces  of  drink  became  so  unmis- 
takable that  he  said,  trying  not  to  offend  her : — 

"  I  am  afraid  that  you  have  been  drinking  a  little  too 
much  of  the  brandy  the  doctor  ordered  you." 

At  this  accusation,  Kate  drew  herself  up  and  angrily 
denied  having  touched  a  drop  of  anything  that  day. 

"  How  dare  you  accuse  me  of  being  drunk  ?  you  ought  to 
respect  me  more." 

"  Drunk,  Kate  ?  I  never  said  you  were  drunk,  but  I 
thought  you  might  have  taken  an  overdose." 

"  1  suppose  you'll  believe  me  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have 
not  had  a  tea  spoonful  of  anything." 

"  Of  course  I  believe  you,  dear,"  said  Dick,  who  could 
not  credit  his  ears.  He  did  not  think  that  Kate  was  capable 
of  telling  such  a  deliberate  lie,  but  seeing  that  there  was  no 
use  in  discussing  the  subject  at  the  present  time,  and  being 
fearfully  tired,  he  suggested  getting  to  bed.  Kate  made  no 
objection,  and  she  took  off  her  things  as  steadily  as  she 
could.  To  unlace  her  stays  was  difficult,  but  when  Dick 
offered  to  assist  her  she  grew  cross. 

"  Do  let  me  alone,  let  me  alone,"  she  said,  tearing  furi- 
ously at  the  strings. 

Without  answering,  Dick  kicked  off  his  shoes;  and  this 
was  the  excuse  for  another  outburst. 

"  How  can  you  be  so  unkind  ?  I  don't  know  really  what 
I  have  done  to  you,  that  you  should  try  to  wake  up  that 
poor  sick  child." 

"  I  assure  you,  my  dear,  I  couldn't  help  it,  the  shoe 
slipped  off  unexpectedly." 

Feeling  very  miserable  and  unhappy,  as  if  the  whole 
world  had  set  its  face  against  her,  Kate  wept  silently.  At 
first  Dick  tried  to  console  her,  but  seeing  soon  that  this  was 
hopeless,  he  turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and  went  to  sleep. 

For  a  long  time  she  sobbed  amid  the  covertures.  There 
being  no  blinds,  the  window  l)ehind  her  was  a  square  of  deep 
blue,  and  the  room,  into  whose  depths  she  could  not  choose 


342  A  Munwier's  Wife 

but  look,  had  in  this  glamour  an  uncertain  and  tomb-like 
appearance,  and  each  recess  seemed  full  of  strange  terrors. 
At  the  foot  of  the  bed  stood  the  cradle,  and  she  could  just 
distinguish  the  baby's  face  upon  the  lugubrious  pallor  of 
the  little  pillow.  Kate  watched,  and  her  husband's  breath- 
ing irritated  her.  At  last  a  low  wailing  cry  broke  the  heavy 
stillness,  and  she  felt  certain  she  could  see  the  baby  moving. 
"  It  wants  its  l)ottle/'  she  said  to  herself ;  but  for  some 
time  she  could  not  make  up  her  mind  to  get  up.  But  as 
the  crying  continued,  pity  mastered  her  fear,  and  filled  with 
all  kinds  of  maternal  solicitudes,  she  took  the  poor  ailing 
thing  out  of  its  cot  and  rocked  it  in  her  arms.  For  a  long 
half  hour  she  walked  up  and  down  the  room,  soothing  and 
kissing  it.  Should  she  lose  it  she  thought  she  should  go 
mad,  and  every  feminine  fibre  in  her  nature  quivered  with 
pain  at  the  thought.  But  there  was  no  danger  of  that.  Had 
not  the  landlady  told  her  that  it  would  be  all  right  in  a  day 
or  two,  that  she  must  not  be  afraid — infants  were  never 
very  well.  This  time,  though,  she  took  care  to  warm  the 
milk ;  it  was  no  use ;  she  might  cram  the  teat  as  much  as  she 
liked  into  its  mouth,  but  it  would  not  suck.  It  seemed  as 
if  it  would  do  nothing  but  wail.  To  listen  to  it  was  most 
distressing,  but  at  length,  as  if  tired  out.  it  sank  to  sleep, 
and  with  an  uneasy  heart  Kate  put  it  back  into  its  cot. 
There  she  sat  watching,  until  a  cold  piercing  shiver  ran 
through  her  and  forced  her  to  remember  her  imprudence. 
It  was  a  winter's  night,  and  she  thought  of  what  would 
happen  if  she  too  were  taken  ill.  Under  such  circumstances 
it  was  impossible  for  her  not  to  think  of  the  brandy,  and 
taking  the  l)ottle  out  of  a  chest  of  drawers  where  she  had 
hidden  it  under  some  clothes,  she  poured  herself  out  a  large 
glass.  It  was  the  first  time  she  had  drunk  the  spirit  neat, 
and  it  ran  through  her,  difl'using  instantly  a  delightful  and 
grateful  warmth.  So  satisfied  was  she  with  its  effect,  that 
after  a  few  moments'  hesitation,  she  drew  the  cradle  close 
up  to  the  bed,  where  she  could  see  it  the  first  thing  in  the 
morning,  and  went  back  to  the  brandy.  She  drank  the  sec- 
ond glass  slowly,  leaning  her  arms  upon  the  chest  of  drawers 
as  she  might  upon  a  bar  counter.  Slic  tliought  of  her  child 
and  husband,  of  how  good  she  intended  to  be  to  them, 


A  Mummer's   Wife  343 

until  ideas  became  broken  and  slipped  from  her,  and  she 
staggered  back  to  bed.  Then  sleep  fell  crushingly  upon  her, 
and  amid  the  shadows  of  the  heavily-heaped  blankets  the 
prolonged  breathing  of  the  sleepers  reverberated  through 
the  stillness  of  the  room.  But  in  the  twilight,  that  was 
becoming  gradually  clearer,  the  baby  still  slept:  the  moon 
was  beginning  to  touch  with  gold  the  corner  of  a  distant 
chimney,  and  soon  after  a  long  white  ray  entered  and  laid 
a  blanehing  finger  upon  the  trailing  fold  of  the  cradle  cover- 
let. Then,  as  if  awakened  by  an  unearthly  presence,  the 
infant  uttered  a  low  thin  wail;  but  only  the  deep  snores 
of  the  parents  made  answer,  and  in  the  transparent  ob- 
scurity the  little  face  Avas  twitched  with  suffering,  and  one 
tiny  hand  raised  its  dying  pallor  to  heaven. 

Above  the  dark  roof  the  moon  had  now  become  a  crescent, 
and  as  an  angel  stealing  and  leaning  forward,  a  white  ray 
kissed  with  cold  supernatural  kisses  the  cheeks  of  the  lonely 
child, — and  instantly,  as  if  in  fear,  the  blue  staring  eyes 
were  opened,  the  little  legs  were  drawn  up  to  the  very  chest, 
the  weak  wail  ceased  and  the  convulsions  began.  Would 
fatl'ter  or  mother  awake  to  soothe  the  pitiful  struggle?  No, 
the  shivering  little  liml)s  stirred  only  to  the  hideous  accom- 
paniment of  the  drunken  woman's  snores;  and  even  as 
heedless,  majestic  in  naked  golden  glory,  the  moon  swam 
up  through  the  azure  peace  of  the  skies,  until  brought 
face  to  face  with  the  child. 

Then,  in  a  strange  and  luminous  pause,  a  green  presence 
took .  possession  of  the  whole  room,  including  every  detail 
in  its  mysterious  embrace.  The  meanest  objects  became 
weird  and  fearsome ;  form  and  sound  were  transfigured. 
Demon-like,  the  brandy  bottle  stood  on  the  chest  of  drawers, 
and  the  huddled  group  in  the  dusky  bed  seemed  as  a  vile 
world  snoring,  equally  indifferent  to  life  and  to  death. 
Yet  for  a  moment  there  was  hope,  for,  as  if  subdued  by  the 
magnetism  of  an  unearthly  power,  the  convulsions  grew  less, 
and  a  sweet  calm  came  over  the  cradle.  The  respite,  how 
brief  it  was !  Soon  the  little  blankets  were  cast  aside,  the 
legs  twisted  on  to  the  chest,  and  the  eyes  blinked  convul- 
sively. But  no  smile  of  joy,  nor  tear  of  grief,  changed  the 
mild  cruelty  of  the  amber-colored  witch  at  the  window: 


344  A  Mummer's  Wife 

softly  as  a  drinking  snake,  she  drank  of  this  young  life. 
Thou  shalt  be  mine  and  mine  only,  she  seemed  to  say ;  and 
in  the  devouring  gleams  the  struggle  was  continued.  Out 
of  the  flower-like  skin  black  stains  grew ;  all  the  soft  round- 
nesses fell  into  distortions;  chubby  knees  were  wrenched  to 
and  fro,  muscles  seemed  to  be  torn  and  the  bones  beneath 
to  be  broken  violently:  as  in  the  Laocoon,  every  movement 
spoke  of  pain. 

So,  for  an  unappreciable  space  of  time,  the  white  rays 
glorified  the  poetic  agony;  and  then  the  little  wan  body 
lay  still  in  a  flood  of  passionless  light.  Not  a  star  watched 
the  bird-like  remains:  only  the  moon  knew  of  the  moon's 
tragedy;  and  after  lingering  an  hour,  the  pale  aureole 
moved  up  the  sky,  leaving  the  child  to  sleep  in  darkness  for- 
ever. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 


T  had  been  raining  all  night,  and  it  was  still  rain- 
ing, and  the  mud  flowed.  The  sky,  a  dead  gray, 
was  shot  with  the  smoke  of  Manchester,  and  a 
faint  odor  of  cinders  hovered  about  the  humid 
atmosphere.  The  perspectives  of  the  streets  were  veiled 
with  blue  vapor,  through  which  were  seen  the  balancing 
backs  of  two  cabmen  who,  perched  high  above  the  splash- 
ing wheels,  leaned  to  exchange  a  remark  as  they  passed. 
Kate,  sobbing  spasmodically,  allowed  her  dress  to  trail 
frequently  in  the  dirt.  The  mutes  had  turned  up  the  ends 
of  their  trousers,  but,  at  every  step  they  sent  the  gutter 
over  their  knees  and  the  fringes  of  the  pall.  Of  the  many 
sad  things  in  this  world  a  child's  funeral  is  perhaps  the 
saddest.  In  a  fleeting  instant  we  see  love,  beauty,  hap- 
piness, all  of  which  we  think  in  one  dream-hour  it  would 
have  attained,  and  we  mourn  the  darkness,  ashes,  and 
worms  that  have  overtaken  it.  Vain,  perhaps,  are  these 
visions;  it  would  have  gained  only  what  we  ourselves  have 
gained;  but  still  it  seems  cruel  to  have  been  denied  a  part 
in  the  battle.  Thus  we  dream  for  a  moment,  and  then  the 
little  cortege  passes  on,  scarcely  noticed,  untalked  of,  un- 
cared  for.  A  dozen  people  are  the  most  that  attend;  there 
are  no  horses,  no  plumes.  A  man  in  front,  another  be- 
hind, carry  what  would  be  mistaken,  were  it  not  for  its 
black  dress,  for  a  hand  barrow.  There  is  not  much  grief, 
only  a  few  mother's  tears,  that  is  all. 

And  little  Kate's  burial  differed  only  from  the  hundred 
other  baby  funerals  we  have  seen  in  our  English  streets  in 
this,  that  it  passed  even  more  unnoticed  than  is  usual  in 
such  cases.  The  Lennoxes  lived  in  an  unfrequented  part 
of  the  town  not  far  from  the  cemetery,  and  soon  the 
melancholy  shops  of  statuaries,  the  pallor  of  the  head- 
stones with  dates  written  in  indelible  black,  the  crosses 
of  consolation,  and  the  kneeling  angels  were  caught  sight 


346  A  Mummer's  Wife 

of.  One  of  these,  a  beautiful  girl  with  large  wings,  bent 
right  over  her  back,  especially  took  the  mother's  fancy. 
After  examining  it,  and  considering  if  there  was  a  chance 
of  her  ever  having  enough  money  to  buy  it,  she  said: 

"  Oh,  Dick,  what  a  pity  it  is  that  we  can't  put  a  beauti- 
ful monument  like  one  of  those  over  the  poor  little  thing's 
grave." 

"  Yes,  isn't  it?  But  if  she  had  lived  I  think  she'd  have 
grown  into  a  pretty  girl.     She  was  very  like  you,  dear." 

He  had  been  offered  an  engagement  for  Kate  to  play 
the  part  of  the  Countess  in  Olivette,  and  had  accepted  it, 
hoping  in  the  meanwhile  to  be  able  to  persuade  her  to  take 
it.  It  was  rather  hard  to  ask  her  to  play  the  day  after  the 
funeral,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  The  company  would 
arrive  in  town  to-morrow,  and  Dick  thought  it  would  be  a 
pity  to  let  the  chance  slip.  He  had  not,  however,  yet 
dared  to  speak  to  her  about  it.  Since  her  child's  death 
she  had  had  some  terrible  attacks  of  hysterical  grief.  She 
had  refused  either  to  eat  or  drink,  and,  uttering  low  wail- 
ing cries,  had  walked  about  her  room  for  one  whole  day 
and  night.  Dick  and  the  landlady  had  in  turn  tried  to 
console  her,  but,  with  wild  movements  of  arms,  she  had 
had  either  buried  her  face  in  the  pillows  or  frantically 
clasped  the  little  dead  thing  to  her  breeast.  But  there 
was  a  want  of  naturalness  in  this  sorrow.  It  was  too  vehe- 
ment, and  it  came  too  much  in  jerks  to  be  considered  a 
spontaneous  expression  of  true  grief.  It  was  not  sus- 
tained, there  were  times  when  she  forgot  herself,  and  re- 
lapsed into  indifference.  And  yet  she  was  perfectly  sin- 
cere. Knowing  what  a  mother  should  feel  she  strove  to 
force  those  feelings  upon  herself,  but  the  truest  sentiment 
in  her  heart  was  hatred  of  herself  for  having  got  drunk 
and  neglected  her  child.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  must 
tear  and  beat  herself  for  what  she  had  done.  She  thought 
herself  vile  and  abominable,  but  of  the  sweet  illimitable 
love  of  the  mother,  she  only  heard  a  faint  echo  in  her 
heart.  This  blank  in  her  affections  was  partly  inborn, 
partly  the  result  of  later  circumstances.  She  had  met 
Dick  in  her  seven-and-twentieth  year,  when  the  sap  of  her 
slowly-developing  nature  was  rising  to  its  highest  point. 


A  Mummer's   Wife  347 

when  it  was  burning  and  forcing  to  blossom  the  fancies  and 
passions  of  a  dreamy  youth.  A  few  more  years  would  have 
killed  those  desires,  as  the  October  winds  the  flowers,  and 
Kate  would  have  lived  and  died  an  honest  workwoman. 
But  Dick  had  passed  in  time  for  the  harvesting,  and  the 
flower  had  fallen  into  his  hands.  He  had  absorbed  her 
heart  and  drained  it  of  all  the  love  it  could  feel  for  living 
thing — the  febrile,  emotional,  dissolute  life  she  had  since 
led  had  worn  out  her  lymphatic  temperament,  and  to  her 
existence  was  now  no  more  than  a  nervous  erethism;  and 
the  gentle  imagination  had  become  morose,  cynical,  and 
dissatisfied. 

We  have,  therefore,  arrived  at  the  period  of  decadence 
of  Kate's  character. 

Her  want  of  motherly  instincts,  and  her  forced  hyster- 
ical grief,  M^ere  owing  to  the  above-named  causes;  and,  as 
the  funeral  approached  the  cemetery  her  sobbing  was  so 
boisterous  that  one  of  the  mutes  looked  round. 

"  Oh,  Dick,"  she  said,  "  to  think  they'll  put  her  down 
into  the  ground,  and  that  we  shall  perhaps  never  even  see 
her  grave  again.  We  may  be  a  hundred  miles  from  here 
to-morrow,  or  after." 

Dick,  who  had  had  credit  of  the  undertaker,  looked 
around  uneasily.  Seeing,  however,  that  Kate  had  not 
been  overheard,  he  said, 

'•  Poor  little  thing.  It  is  sad  to  lose  her,  isn't  it?  I 
should  like  to  have  seen  her  grow  up." 

Never  did  anything  seem  so  utterly  lost  to  Kate  as  her 
child  soon  would  be.  The  multitude  of  graves  was  ap- 
palling. Out  of  the  soaking  earth,  up  to  the  wet  gray  sky, 
the  headstones  lifted  their  countless  faces.  They  ex- 
tended in  profusion  over  a  level  plain,  and  so  thick  were 
they  that  a  child  would  not  be  able  to  find  its  way  out  of 
the  labyrinth.  The  conventional  yew  trees  stood  black  as 
ink  by  the  spikes  of  the  encircling  railing,  and  the  big, 
white-painted  backs  of  the  houses,  where  the  living  lived, 
grew  yellow  upon  a  dim  background  of  murky  sky. 

The  coffin  was  first  deposited  in  the  middle  of  a  vault- 
like church.  The  mutes  remained  outside  in  the  porch, 
and  Dick  fidgeted,  feeling  ill  at  ease  amid  the  great  barren 


348  A  Mummer's  Wife 

benches.  He  twisted  the  brim  of  his  big  hat  nervously, 
troubled  by  the  service  which  the  parson  in  a  white  flow- 
ing surplice  read  from  the  reading-desk.  Kate,  on  the 
contrary,  appeared  much  consoled,  and  she  mumbled  so 
many  prayers  that,  involuntarily,  Dick  began  to  consider 
the  time  it  would  take  to  learn  a  part  of  equal  length. 
The  little  brown  box  remained  all  the  while  like  a  piece 
of  lost  luggage,  lonely  in  the  grayness  of  this  station-house- 
looking  church;  and  when  the  mutes  came  to  claim  it  Kate 
burst  again  into  tears.  This  reminded  the  parson  that  he 
was  there  to  console,  and,  in  soft  and  unctuous  words,  he 
assured  the  weeping  mother  that  her  child  had  only  been 
removed  to  a  better  and  brighter  world,  and  that  we  must 
all  submit  to  the  will  of  God.  In  the  porch,  however,  his 
attention  was  distracted,  and  looking  anxiously  at  the 
dirty  drift  of  clouds  that  threatened  another  downpour, 
he  talked  confidentially  with  the  sexton,  who  had  come 
to  show  them  the  way.  "A  little  more  of  this,"  he  thought, 
"  and  others  will  be  doing  for  me  what  I  am  now  doing  for 
others." 

But  there  being  no  help  for  it,  Avith  the  white  surplice 
blowing,  he  followed  the  procession  through  the  intermin- 
able tombstones.  It  seemed  a  mystery  how  place  for  the 
little  grave  had  been  found,  and  amid  much  indifference, 
the  service  was  continued.  Dick  could  not  keep  his  at- 
tention fixed,  and  not  a  sob  was  heard  until  the  parson 
sprinkled  earth  upon  the  coffin  and  the  ropes  were  brutally 
withdrawn.  This  last  "  situation  "  in  the  comedy  of  life 
cut  the  mother's  heart,  but  she  was  now  worn  out  with 
grief,  and  in  silence  threw  her  flowers  into  the  narrow 
opening.  Dick  said  nothing,  but  it  made  him  despair  to 
see  her  scrambling  over  the  heaps  of  clay,  and  it  seemed 
to  him  pretty  well  impossible  that  she  would  ever  be  able 
to  play  the  Countess  in  OUveffe  on  the  morrow.  She  was 
so  fearfully  haggard  and  worn  that  he  doubted  if  any 
amount  of  rouge  would  make  her  look  the  part.  This  was 
a  great  pity.  He  would  have  done  anything  for  his  little 
girl  while  she  was  alive,  but  now  that  she  was  dead — . 
Besides,  after  all,  she  was  only  a  baby.  For  some  time 
past  this  idea  had  occurred  to  him  as  an  excellent  argu- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  '349 

meut  to  convince  Kale  that  there  was  really  no  reason 
why  she  should  not  go  to  the  rehearsal  on  the  following 
morning.  If  he  had  not  yet  spoken  in  this  way  it  was 
only  because  he  was  afraid  that  she  would  round  on  him, 
and  call  him  a  heartless  beast.  Lacking  moral  courage, 
he  would  do  anything  to  evade  a  sulky  look;  and  now, 
when  the  funeral  was  over,  and  they  were  walking  home 
wet,  sorrowful,  and  tired,  it  was  curious  to  watch  how  he 
gave  his  arm  to  Kate,  and  the  timidity  with  which  he  in- 
troduced his  subject.  At  first  he  only  spoke  of  himself, 
and  his  hopes  of  being  able  to  obtain  a  better  part  and  a 
higher  salary  in  the  new  drama.  Mention  to  a  mummer 
who  is  lying  on  his  death-bed  that  a  new  piece  is  going  to 
be  produced,  and  he  will  not  be  able  to  resist  asking  a  ques- 
tion or  two  about  it;  and  Kate,  weary  as  she  was,  at  once 
pricked  up  her  ears  and  said — 

'"  Oh,  they  are  going  to  do  a  new  piece!  You  didn't  tell 
me  of  that  before." 

"  It  was  only  decided  last  night,"  replied  Dick. 

The  spell  was  now  broken,  and  when  they  got  home  and 
had  dinner  the  conversation  was  resumed  in  a  strain  that, 
after  the  mournful  tones  of  the  last  few  days,  might  be 
considered  as  being  almost  jovial.  Dick  felt  as  if  a  big 
weight  had  been  lifted  from  his  mind,  and  the  thought 
again  occurred  to  him,  What  was  the  good  of  making  such 
a  fuss  over  a  baby  that  was  only  three  weeks  old?  Kate, 
too,  seemed  to  be  awakening  to  the  conviction  that  there 
was  no  use  in  grieving  for  ever.  The  state  of  torpor  she 
had  been  living  in — for  to  stifle  remorse  she  had  been 
drinking  heavily  on  the  quiet — now  began  to  wear  off,  and 
her  brain  to  uneloud  itself;  and  Dick,  surprised  at  the 
transformation,  could  not  help  exclaiming — 

"That's  right,  Kate;  cheer  up,  old  girl.  A  baby  three 
weeks  old  isn't  the  same  as  a  grown  person." 

"I  know  it  isn't,  but  if  you  only  knew — I'm  afraid  I 
neglected  the  poor  little  thing." 

"  Nonsense,"  replied  Dick,  who,  having  an  eye  con- 
stantly on  the  main  chance,  wished  to  avoid  any  fresh 
outburst  of  grief,  "  you  looked  after  it  very  well  indeedj 
besides,  you'll  have  another/'  he  added  with  a  smile. 


350  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  want  no  other,"  reiiliecl  Kate,  vexed  at  being  mis- 
understood, and  yet  afraid  to  explain  herself  more  thor- 
oughly. 

The  conversation  then  came  to  a  pause,  and  both  sought 
for  words  to  break  a  long  and  irritating  silence;  at  last 
Dick  said: 

"  I  wish  there  was  a  part  for  you  in  the  new  piece." 

"  Yes,  so  do  I.  I  haven't  been  doing  anything  for  a 
long  while  now." 

Thus  encouraged,  Dick  told  Kate  that  in  the  so-and-so 
company  the  part  of  the  Countess  might  be  had  for  the 
asking. 

"  Only  they  play  to-morrow  night." 

"  Oh,  to-morrow  night!  It  would  be  dreadful  to  act 
so  soon  after  my  poor  baby's  death,  wouldn't  it?  " 

"  I  can't  see  why.  We  shall  be  as  sorry  for  it  in  a  week's 
time  as  now,  and  yet  one  must  get  to  work  some  time  or 
other." 

Dick  considered  this  a  very  telling  argument,  and,  not 
wishing  to  spoil  its  effect,  he  remained  silent,  so  as  to  give 
Kate  time  to  digest  the  truth  of  what  he  had  said. 

The  next  steps  towards  arriving  at  a  decision  were  easily 
made.  Dick  pleaded  their  poverty,  told  of  his  indebted- 
ness to  friends,  explained  that  so  good  a  chance  might  not 
occur  again,  and  expatiated  on  the  dangers  that  artists 
ran  of  being  let  drop  out  if  they  did  not  keep  their  names 
before  the  public.  Kate  listened  very  amiably  to  these 
arguments;  she  whined  a  bit  when  pressed  for  an  answer, 
but  next  morning,  when  Dick  admitted  that  he  had  com- 
promised himself  considerably  in  the  matter,  she  consented 
to  play  the  part,  and  they  went  down  to  rehearsal.  The 
manager  was  delighted  with  her  appearance.  He  told  her 
that  the  photo  that  Dick  had  forwarded  did  not  do  her 
justice;  and,  handing  her  the  scrip,  he  said: 

"  'Now  you  must  make  your  entrance  from  this  side." 

"What's  the  cue?" 

"  Here  it  is.  I  think  I  shall  now  beat  a  retreat  in  the 
direction  of  home." 

"Ah!  I  see." 

And,  striving  to  decipher  the  MS.,  Kate  walked  towards 


A  Mummer's  Wife  351 

the  middle  of  the  stage.  "  I  haven't  seen  the  Duke  for 
twenty-four  hours,  and  that  means  misery." 

'•'  You'll  get  a  laugh  for  that  if  you'll  turn  up  your  eyes 
a  bit/'  said  Dick.  Then,  turning  to  the  manager  he  mur- 
mured, "  I  wish  you  had  seen  her  as  Clairette.  The 
notices  were  immense.  But  I  must  be  off  now  to  my  own. 
show." 

This  engagement  relieved  the  Lennoxes  for  the  time 
being  of  their  embarrassments.  During  the  last  month  a 
good  many  debts  had  been  contracted,  the  payment  of 
which  could  not  be  avoided;  but  with  Kate's  four  and 
Dick's  two  ten  a  week,  doctor,  nurse,  landlady,  and  under- 
taker were  eventually  settled  with.  Their  lives  were  now 
working  with  clock-like  exactitude.  At  four  they  dined,  at 
six  bade  each  other  good-by,  and  repaired  to  their  respec- 
tive theatres.  Dick  was  playing  in  drama,  Kate  in  opera- 
bouffe;  and  something  before  a  quarter  to  eleven  she  ex- 
pected him  to  meet  her  at  the  stage-door  of  the  Prince's. 
On  tliis  point  she  was  very  particular,  and  if  he  were  a 
few  moments  late  she  questioned  him  minutely  as  to  where 
he  had  been,  what  he  had  been  doing. 

One  day  she  happened  to  catch  him  talking  at  the  cor- 
ner of  the  street  with  a  lady,  whom  she  recognized  as  be- 
longing to  the  same  theatre  as  he  did.  At  the  time  the 
fact  did  not  strike  her  very  forcibly,  but  gradually,  from 
words  heard  here  and  there,  which,  through  a  slow  process, 
were  assimilated  and  twisted  in  her  excited  brain,  the 
strangest  conclusions  were  arrived  at;  and  the  dreadful 
jealousies  and  suspicions  which  her  marriage  had  appeased 
returned,  and  tortured  her  night  and  day  with  a  cruel 
ferocity.  At  first  the  approach  of  pain  was  manifested  by 
a  nervous  anxiety  for  her  husband's  presence.  She  seemed 
dissatisfied  and  restless  when  he  was  not  with  her,  and 
after  breakfast  in  the  mornings,  when  he  took  up  his  hat 
to  go  out,  she  would  beg  of  him  to  stay,  and  find  fault  with 
him  for  leaving  her.  He  reasoned  with  her  very  softly 
and  kindly,  insisted,  and  assured  her  that  he  had  the  most 
important  engagements.  On  one  occasion  it  was  a  man 
who  had  given  him  an  appointment  in  order  to  speak  with 
him  concerning  a  new  theatre,  of  which  he  was  to  have 


352  A  Mummer's  Wife 

the  entire  management;  another  time  it  was  a  man  who 
was  writing  a  drama,  and  wanted  a  collaborator  to  put  the 
stage  construction  right ;  and  as  these  seances  of  collabora- 
tion occupied  both  morning  and  afternoon,  Kate,  until 
four  o'clock,  was  thrown  entirely  on  her  own  resources. 
The  first  two  or  three  novels  she  had  read  during  her  con- 
valescence had  amused  her,  but  they  all  now  seemed  one 
so  much  like  the  other  that  they  ended  by  boring  her;  and, 
too  excited  to  be  able  to  fix  her  attention,  she  often  read 
without  understanding  what  she  was  reading.  Her  mind 
was  a  chaos  of  conflicting  emotions.  On  one  side  the 
memory  of  her  baby's  death  preyed  upon  her;  she  still 
could  not  help  thinking  that  it  was  owing  to  her  neglect 
that  it  had  died.  On  the  other,  the  thought  that  her  hus- 
band was  playing  her  false  goaded  her  to  madness.  Some- 
times she  attempted  to  follow  him,  but  this  only  resulted 
in  failure,  and  she  returned  home  after  a  fruitless  chase 
more  dejected  than  ever.  "  Ah!  if  the  baby  had  not  died, 
there  would  have  been  something  to  live  for,"  she  mur- 
mured to  herself  a  thousand  times  during  the  day,  until 
at  last  her  l)urden  of  remorse  grew  quite  unbearable,  and 
she  thought  of  the  brandy  the  doctor  had  ordered  her. 
Since  her  engagement  to  play  the  Countess  she  had  for- 
gotten it,  but  now  a  strange  desire  seized  her  as  suddenly 
as  if  she  had  been  stung  by  a  snake.  There  was  only  a 
little  left  in  the  bottle,  but  that  little  clieered  and  restored 
her  even  more  than  she  had  expected.  Her  thoughts  came 
to  her  more  fluently,  she  ate  a  better  dinner,  and  acted 
joyously  that  night  at  the  theatre.  "  There  is  no  doubt," 
she  said  to  herself,  "  the  doctor  was  right.  What  I  want 
is  a  little  stimulant."  Of  the  truth  of  this  she  was  more 
than  ever  convinced  when  next  morning  she  found  herself 
again  suffering  from  the  usual  melancholy  and  dulness  of 
spirits.  The  very  sight  of  breakfast  disgusted  her,  and 
when  Dick  left  she  wandered  about  the  room,  unable  to 
interest  herself  in  anything.  There  was  a  yearning  in  her 
throat  for  the  tingling  sensation  that  brandy  would  bring, 
and  she  longed  for  yesterday's  lightness  of  conscience. 
But  there  was  no  liquor  in  the  house,  not  even  a  glass  of 
sherry.     What  was  to  be  done?     Kate  hesitated  for  some 


A  Mummer's  Wife  353 

time  before  applying  to  the  landlady.  What  would  the 
woman  think?  Such  people  were  always  too  ready  to  put 
a  wrong  interpretation  upon  everything.  Still,  Mrs. 
Clarke  knew  that  the  doctor  had  ordered  her  to  take  a 
little  brandy  when  she  felt  weak.  Eesolving,  however,  not 
to  put  herself  into  anybody's  power  she  determined  to 
wait  until  dinner-time.  Half  an  hour  of  misery  passed, 
and  then,  excited  to  the  last  degree  by  the  craving  for 
drink,  she  remembered  that  it  would  be  very  foolish  to  risk 
her  health  for  the  sake  of  a  prejudice.  To  obey  the  doc- 
tor's orders  was  her  first  duty.  This  reflection  was  in- 
finitely consoling;  it  relieved  her  mind  at  once  of  much 
uncertainty,  and,  ringing  the  bell,  she  prepared  her  little 
speech. 

"Oh!  Mrs.  Clarke,  I'm  sorry  to  trouble  you,  but — I'm 
feeling  so  weak  this  morning — and,  if  you  remember,  the 
doctor  ordered  me  to  take  a  little  brandy  when  I  felt  I 
wanted  it.     Do  you  happen  to  have  any  in  the  house?  " 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  haven't,  but  I  can  send  out  for  it  in  a 
minute.  And  you  do  look  as  if  you  wanted  something  to 
pick  you  up." 

"  Yes,"  said  Kate,  throwing  as  much  weakness  as  she 
could  into  her  voice,  "  somehow  I  have  never  felt  the  same 
since  my  confinement." 

"  Ah!  I  know  well  how  it  pulls  one  down.  If  you  only 
knew  how  I  suffered  with  my  third  baby!  " 

"  I  can  well  imagine  it." 

The  conversation  then  came  to  a  pause,  and  Mrs.  Clarke, 
not  seeing  lier  way  to  any  further  family  confidences,  said: 

"  What  shall  I  send  for,  ma'am — half  a  pint?  The  gro- 
cer round  the  corner  keeps  some  very  nice  brandy." 

"  Yes,  that  will  do,"  said  Kate,  seeing  an  unending  per- 
spective of  drinks  in  half  a  pint. 

"  Shall  I  put  that  down  in  the  bill,  or  will  you  give  me 
the  money  now,  ma'am?  " 

This  was  very  awkward,  for  Kate  suddenly  remembered 
that  she  had  this  week  given  over  her  salary  to  Dick,  with- 
out keeping  anything  out  of  it.  However,  there  was  no 
help  for  it  now,  and  putting  as  bold  a  face  on  it  as  she 
cold,  she  told  Mrs.  Clarke  to  book  it.  What  did  it  matter 
23 


354  A  Mummer's  Wife 

whether  Dick  saw  it  or  not.     Had  not  the  doctor  told  her 
she  required  a  little  stimulant? 

Henceforth  brandy  drinking  became  an  established  part 
of  Kate's  morning  hours.  Even  before  Dick  was  out  of 
bed  she  would  invent  a  pretext  for  stealing  into  the  next 
room  so  that  she  might  have  a  nip  on  the  sly  before  break- 
fast. The  bottle,  and  a  packet  of  sweetstuff  to  take  the 
smell  out  of  her  mouth,  were  kept  behind  a  large  oleo- 
graph representing  Swiss  scenery.  The  fear  that  Dick 
might  pop  out  upon  her  at  any  moment  often  nearly  caused 
her  to  spill  the  liquor  over  the  place:  but  existence  was 
impossible  without  drink.  She  couldn't  eat,  and  she  felt 
she  was  bound  to  get  rid  of  the  miserable  moods  of  mind 
to  which  she  woke.  Before  eleven  o'clock  Dick  was  out 
of  the  house,  and  this  left  Kate  four  hours  of  lonely  idle- 
ness staring  her  blankly  in  the  face.  Sometimes  she  prac- 
tised a  little  music,  but  it  wearied  her.  She  had  courage 
now  for  nothing,  and  the  only  thing  that  killed  the  dreari- 
ness that  ached  in  heart  and  head  was  brandy-and-water. 
Many  half-pint  bottles  had  succeeded  the  first,  and, 
ashamed  to  admit  her  secret  drinking,  she  now  regularly 
paid  the  landlady  out  of  her  own  money.  When  funds 
were  low,  a  little  bill  was  run  up,  and  this  was  produced 
and  talked  over  when  the  two  women  were  having  a  glass 
together  of  a  morning.  To  pay  these  debts  Kate  had  to 
resort  to  the  most  abject  lying.  All  kinds  of  excuses  had 
to  be  concocted.  Her  first  idea  was  to  tell  Dick  she  in- 
tended to  continue  her  music  lessons.  He  would  be  sure, 
she  thought,  never  to  ask  her  a  question  on  the  subject; 
but  Dick,  who  was  still  terribly  hard  up,  begged  of  her  to 
wait  until  they  were  better  off  before  incurring  new  ex- 
penses. Annoyed,  she  fell  back  on  the  subject  of  clothes, 
and  when  he  asked  her  if  she  could  not  manage  to  go  on 
with  what  she  had  for  a  bit,  it  astonished  him  to  see  the 
little  mad  rage  into  which  she  instantly  fell.  Was  it  not 
her  own  money,  had  she  not  earned  it,  and  was  he  going 
to  rob  her  of  it?  Did  he  only  keep  her  to  work  for  him? 
If  so,  she'd  very  soon  put  that  to  rights  by  chucking  up 
her  engagement;  then  he  would  be  forced  to  keep  her;  she 
wasn't  going  to  be  bullied.     Dick,  in  his  usual  kind  way. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  355 

tried  to  calm  her.  He  explained  to  her  their  position,  told 
her  of  his  projects.  But  the  fear  of  discovery  was  a  fixed 
thought  in  her  mind,  and  she  refused  to  listen  to  reason 
until  he  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  gave  her  two 
pounds  ten.  This  was  just  the  sum  required  to  pay  what 
she  owed  at  the  Ayre  Arms.  Then,  seeing  her  difficulties 
removed,  her  better  nature  asserted  itself,  and,  after  a 
inoment  of  trembling  reflection,  the  tears  started  to  her 
eyes,  and  she  begged  of  Dick  to  forgive  her.  She  had  lost 
her  temper,  and  she  did  not  know  what  she  was  saying. 
For  a  swift  instant  she  thought  of  confessing  the  truth, 
but  the  idea  died  in  a  resolution  to  amend.  It  was  not 
worth  speaking  of;  she  was  getting  stronger,  and  would 
need  no  more  stimulants. 

And  for  two  days  Kate  kept  to  her  promise;  instead  of 
sitting  at  home,  she  called  on  one  of  the  ladies  of  the  the- 
atre, and  passed  a  pleasant  morning  with  her.  Struck  by 
this  success,  she  paid  visits  to  other  members  of  the  com- 
pany, and  went  out  shopping  with  them.  But  when  three 
or  four  met  at  the  corner  of  a  street,  after  a  few  intro- 
ductory remarks,  a  drink  was  generally  proposed,  not  as 
]nen  would  propose  it,  but  sl3dy,  and  with  much  affecta- 
tion. Skirting  furtively  along  the  streets,  a  quiet  bar 
would  be  selected,  and  then,  "  What  will  yovi  have,  dear?  " 
would  be  whispered  softly.  "  A  drop  of  gin,  dear."  On 
one  of  these  occasions  Kate  only  just  escaped  getting  hope- 
lessly drunk.  Fortunately,  Dick  did  not  return  home  to 
dinner,  and  a  good  sleep  and  a  bottle  of  soda-water  pulled 
her  together,  so  that  she  could  go  down  to  the  theatre 
and  play  her  part  without  exciting  observation.  This  de- 
cided her  not  to  trust  herself  again  to  the  temptation  of 
her  girl  friends,  and  she  asked  Dick  to  allow  her  to  ac- 
company him  sometimes.  He  made  a  wry  face  at  this 
proposal,  hesitated,  and  explained  that  his  collaborator 
suffered  no  one  to  interrupt  their  seances;  he  was  a  timid 
man,  and  couldn't  work  in  the  presence  of  a  third  person. 
Kate  only  sighed,  but  although  she  did  not  attempt  to  dis- 
pute the  veracity  of  this  statement,  she  felt  that  it  was  cruel 
that  she  should  be  left  thus,  hour  after  hour,  entirely 
alone.     She   deceived  herself,  however,   with  resolutions 


356  A  Mummer's  Wife 

and  hopes  that  she  would  require  no  more  brandy.  But 
in  her  heart  of  hearts  she  knew  that  she  would  not  he  able 
to  resist,  and,  docile  as  the  sheep  under  the  butcher's 
hand,  she  recognized  her  fate,  and  accepted  it.  A  new 
novel  was  bought,  a  fresh  bill  run  up  at  the  grocer's,  and 
the  mornings  were  passed  in  a  state  of  torpor.  Without 
getting  absolutely  drunk,  she  drank  sufficient  to  confuse 
her  thoughts,  to  reduce  them  to  a  sort  of  nebulae,  enough 
to  blend  and  soften  the  lines  of  a  too  hard  reality  to  a  long 
sensation  of  tickling,  in  which  no  idea  was  precise,  no  de- 
sire remained  long  enough  to  grow  to  a  pain,  but  caressed 
and  passed  amorously  away.  Sometimes,  of  course,  she 
overdosed  herself,  but  on  these  occasions,  when  she  found 
consciousness  slipping  a  little  too  rapidly  from  her,  she 
was  cunning  enough  to  go  and  lie  down.  Living,  as  she 
did,  in  constant  fear  of  detection,  she  endowed  the  sim- 
p)lest  words  and  looks  with  a  double  meaning,  and  she 
could  not  help  hating  him  if  he  asked  her  questions  or 
dared  to  accuse  her  of  being  sleepy  and  heavy  about  the 
eyes.  Did  he  intend  to  insult  her — was  that  it?  if  so,  she 
wasn't  going  to  stand  it.  But  the  climax  was  reached 
when  one  day  he  stood  before  the  oleograph,  apparently 
examining  with  deep  interest  the  different  aspects  of  the 
Swiss  scenery.  In  reality,  his  thoughts  were  far  away, 
but  Kate,  who  did  not  know  this,  grew  so  nervous  and 
angry,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  she  contained  herself. 

On  half  a  dozen  different  pretexts  she  had  tried  to  get 
him  away.  There  was  a  bottle  hidden  behind  the  blue 
mountains,  and  should  he  touch  them,  discovery  was  in- 
evitable. Under  these  circumstances,  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  fly  into  a  violent  passion,  so  snatching  up  a  plate 
from  the  table  she  dashed  it  violently  against  the  ground. 
The  color  rushed  to  her  forehead,  and  she  abused  him 
roundly  for  his  neglect.  Was  she  so  utterly  beneath  his 
notice  that  he  could  not  even  answer  a  question?  The 
crash  caused  Dick  to  jump  round  as  if  he  had  been  shot, 
and  he  sought  to  pacify  his  wife.  This  was  not  easy,  and 
almost  every  day  a  dispute  of  the  same  sort  arose.  Danger 
of  discovery  assailed  her  from  all  sides,  and  this  engen- 
dered, if  not  hatred,  a  fierce  resentment;  and  to  deceive 


"A  Mummer's  Wife  357 

herself  as  to  the  true  reason  she  criticised  his  conduct  and 
manner  of  life  bitterly  and  passionately  from  every  point 
of  view.  Jealousy  was  natural  to  her;  it  had  been  long 
smouldering  in  her  heart.  Once  or  twice  it  had  blazed 
into  flame,  but  circumstances  had,  for  the  time  being, 
quenched  it.  Now  there  was  nothing  to  oppose  it,  and  it 
burnt  with  resistless  fury.  All  things  served  as  fuel,  and 
inwardly  Kate  raged  for  some  opportunity  to  show  her 
spite.  She  was  conscious  of  no  wrongdoing,  she  believed, 
and  believed  sincerely,  that  she  was  acting  legitimately  in 
defence  of  her  own  interests.  Certain  she  was  that  Dick 
was  deceiving  her,  and  the  want  of  moral  courage  in  the 
man,  which  forced  him  to  tell  lies — lies  in  which  he  was 
sometimes  found  out — tended  to  confirm  her  in  this  be- 
lief. For  a  few  days  past  a  quarrel  had  been  preparing. 
It  was  a  weapon  that  had  been  forged  by  a  thousand 
strokes,  fashioned  by  insults  and  tempered  in  the  crudest 
slanders.  Still  the  time  for  fight  had  not  yet  come,  and 
she  chafed  under  the  delay.  One  night,  however,  he  kept 
her  waiting  half  an  hour  at  the  stage-door.  Where  had 
he  been  to?  what  had  he  been  doing  all  this  while?  were 
the  questions  she  put  to  him  in  many  different  forms  of 
phrase  as  they  walked  home.  Dick  assured  her  he  had 
been  detained  by  his  manager,  who  wanted  to  speak  with 
him  concerning  a  new  production.  He  had  been  asked  to 
undertake  the  arrangement  of  some  of  the  processions. 
But  Kate  would  not  accept  any  of  these  excuses,  and  she 
quarrelled  venomously.  Convinced  he  had  been  after  a 
woman,  she  stuck  to  her  opinion,  and  the  bickering  con- 
tinued. It  was  very  irritating.  After  a  wearying  argu- 
ment, full  of  protestation.?,  admonitions,  and  promises,  a 
long  silence  would  establish  itself  between  them,  and, 
fondly  hoping  that  peace  was  restored,  the  man  would 
allow  his  thoughts  to  take  up  the  thread  of  some  theatrical 
difficulty — the  price  of  the  ballet-girls'  dresses,  or  the 
possibility  of  the  refreshment  contractor  advancing  some 
money  on  the  bars.  Nothing  more  was  said  until  they  got 
up  to  their  room,  and  then  Dick,  as  usual,  forgetful  of  even 
the  immediate  past,  began  to  speak  of  his  manager's  inten- 
tions regarding  a  new  piece.     He  did  not,  however,  get  far 


358  A   Mummer's   Wife 

before  he  was  brought  to  a  sudden  standstill  by  a  fresh  ex- 
plosion of  wrath. 

"  What  have  I  done  now?  "  he  asked. 

"Done!  Do  you  suppose  I  want  to  hear  about  that 
woman  ?  " 

"  What  woman  ?  " 

"  Oh!  you  needn't  do  the  innocent  with  me!  " 

"  Eeally!     I  give  you  my  word " 

"  Your  word!  a  nice  thing,  indeed!  " 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  To  leave  me  in  peace,"  said  Kate  savagely  breaking 
the  string  of  her  stays. 

Dick,  who  was  very  tired,  took  the  hint,  and,  without  at- 
tempting to  argue  the  point  further,  quietly  undressed  and 
got  to  bed.  There  the  quarrel  was  resumed,  and  for  an 
hour  or  more  a  sort  of  guerilla  warfare  was  maintained. 
He  lay  with  his  head  turned  close  to  the  wall;  hers  danced 
over  the  extreme  edge  of  the  pillow,  and  the  sound  of  her 
complaining  voice  harassed  the  darkness  of  the  room.  The 
same  tale  was  repeated  without  mercy. 

"  Why  don't  you  go  away  and  leave  me?  I  cannot  think 
how  you  can  be  so  cruel,  and  to  me,  who  gave  up  every- 
thing for  you!  " 

It  was  the  wail  of  petulant  anger;  but  as  yet  she  showed 
no  violence,  and  it  was  not  until  her  husband,  worn  out 
by  two  hours  of  unceasing  lamentations,  begged  of  her  to 
allow  him  to  go  to  sleep,  that  her  temper  commenced  to 
overcome  her.  In  the  morning,  however,  she  was  more 
agreeable,  and  it  was  not  until  she  had  paid  a  couple  of 
visits  to  the  blue  Swiss  mountains  that  she  became  again 
taciturn  and  irritable.  Dick,  on  his  part,  did  not  as  yet 
even  remotely  suspect  his  wife  of  drunkenness,  he  merely 
thought  that  she  had  grown  lately  very  ill-tempered,  and 
that  a  jealous  woman  was  about  the  most  distressing  thing 
in  existence;  and,  anxious  to  avoid  another  scene,  he  hur- 
ried through  his  breakfast.  She  watched  him  eating  in 
silence,  knowing  well  he  was  counting  the  minutes  till  he 
could  get  away.     At  last  she  said: 

"  Will  you  take  me  to  church  to-day  ?  " 


A  Mummer's  Wife  359 

"  My  dear,  I'm  afraid  I've  an  appointment,  but  I'll  try 
to  come  back  if  I  can." 

Knowing  very  well  that  he  had  no  intention  of  return- 
ing she  said  nothing,  and  a  few  minutes  later,  after  ask- 
ing speciously  up  to  what  time  he  would  find  her  in,  he 
slipped  away.  Then  what  to  do  she  knew  not,  unless,  in- 
deed, she  invited  the  landlady  to  come  up  and  have  a  glass 
with  her;  but  feeling  somewhat  out  of  humor  for  the  turgid 
conversation  of  that  respectable  person,  she  put  on  her  hat 
and  ran  after  her  husband,  determined  to  watch  him.  But 
he  was  not  to  be  seen,  and  after  roaming  aimlessly  alx>ut  for 
some  time  she  turned  into  a  church,  and  sat  through  the 
whole  of  the  service.  She  did  not  attempt  to  keep  her  atten- 
tion fixed  on  what  was  going  on,  but  to  kneel  down,  to 
stand  up,  with  the  crowd — that  is  to  say,  to  abandon  herself 
to  a  general  impulse — was  in  itself  a  relief,  and  relaxed  the 
strain  of  her  thoughts.  Her  fevered  hand  twitched,  her 
eyes  stared  painfully,  her  brain  boiled  with  angry  excite- 
ment, and  when  church  was  over  she  wandered  through  the 
town,  drinking  at  the  different  public-houses.  When  she 
got  home  she  was  slightly  boozed;  but  feeling  somewhat 
less  miserable  and  wretched,  she  inquired  after  Dick.  He 
had  not  yet  come  in.  This  was  unfortunate,  for  her  heart, 
that  was  relenting  towards  him,  was  again,  in  a  swift  mo- 
ment of  suspicion,  tightened  into  bitterness,  and  in  the 
solitude  of  her  room,  asking  herself  why  he  treated  her 
thus  cruelly,  she  worked  herself  into  a  state  of  positive 
frenzy.  It  pretty  nearly  drove  her  mad  to  think  that  at  the 
moment  she  was  patiently  waiting  dinner  for  him  he  might 
be  in  the  arms  of  another  woman;  and  when  the  landlady 
came  upstairs  a  second  time  in  hope  of  a  sociable  glass, 
Kate  told  her  she  might  bring  the  soup  up  (they  always 
had  soup  on  Sundays)  ;  that  if  Mr.  Lennox  didn't  choose 
to  come  in  for  his  meals  he  might  go  without  them.  At 
that  moment  a  ring  at  the  door  was  heard,  and  Dick  walked 
into  the  room.  Throwing  himself  into  an  arm-chair  he 
said: 

"  I  declare  I  never  was  so  tired  in  my  life,  I'm  dead 
beat. 


360  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  daresay  you  are,  I  can  easily  understand  that,"  was 
the  curt  reply. 

An  expression  of  pain  passed  over  his  face. 

"  Goodness  me,  Kate ! "  he  said  in  a  perplexed  voice. 
"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  are  angry  still." 

'No  attention  was  paid  to  the  landlady,  who  was  placing 
the  soup  on  tlie  table,  and  she,  being  pretty  well  accustomed 
to  their  quarrels,  said  with  an  air  of  indiiference  as  she 
left  the  room: 

"  Dinner  is  served,  I  shall  bring  the  leg  of  mutton  up 
when  you  ring." 

jSTo  answer  was  made  to  her,  and  the  couple  sat  moodily 
looking  at  each  other.  After  a  pause,  Dick  tried  to  be 
conciliatory,  and  in  the  most  affectionate  phrases  he  could 
select  he  besought  Kate  to  make  it  up. 

"  I  assure  you,  you  are  wrong,"  he  said,  "  I  have  been 
after  no  woman.    Do,  for  goodness  sake,  make  it  up." 

Then  approaching  her  chair,  he  tried  to  draw  her  toward 
him,  but  pulling  herself  away  passionately,  she  exclaimed : 

"  No,  no,  leave  me  alone — leave  me  alone — don't  touch 
me — I  hate  you." 

This  was  not  encouraging,  but  at  the  end  of  another 
silence  he  attempted  again  to  reason  with  her.  But  it  was 
useless ;  and  worn  and  impatient,  he  begged  of  her  at  least 
to  come  to  dinner. 

"  If  you  aren't  hungry,  I  am." 

There  was  no  answer ;  lying  back  in  her  chair  she  sulked, 
deaf  to  all  entreaty. 

"  Well,  if  you  won't  I  will,"  he  said,  seating  himself  in 
her  place. 

Her  eyes  flashed  with  a  dull  lurid  light,  and  walking 
close  to  the  table,  she  looked  at  him  steadily,  fidgetting  as 
she  did  so  with  the  knives  and  glasses. 

"  I  can't  think  how  you  treat  me  as  you  do ;  what  have 
I  done  to  you  to  deserve  it  ?  Nothing.  But  I  shall  be  re- 
venged, that  I  will;  I  can  bear  it  no  longer." 

"Bear  what?"  he  asked  despairingly. 

"  You  know  well  enough.  Don't  aggravate  me.  I  hate 
you!  Oh,  yes,"  she  said,  raising  her  voice,  "I  do  hate 
you ! " 


A  Mummer's  Wife  361 

"  Sit  down  and  have  some  dinner,  and  don't  be  so 
foolish,"  he  said,  trying  to  be  jocular,  as  he  lifted  the 
cover  from  the  soup. 

"  Eat  with  you  ?  Never !  "  she  answered  theatrically. 
But  the  interest  he  showed  in  the  steaming  liquid  annoyed 
her  to  such  a  degree,  that  overcome  by  a  sudden  gust  of 
passion  she  upset  the  tureen  into  his  lap.  Dick  uttered 
a  scream,  and  in  starting  back  he  overturned  his  chair. 
Although  not  scalding,  the  soup  was  still  hot  enough  to 
burn  him,  and  he  held  his  thighs  dolorously.  The  table- 
cloth was  deluged,  the  hearthrug  steamed;  and,  regardless 
of  everything,  Kate  rushed  past,  imprecating  violently  as 
she  went.  In  brief,  broken  phrases,  she  accused  her  hus- 
band of  cruelty,  of  unfaithfulness,  stopping  only  to  re- 
proach him  with  a  desire  to  desert  her.  Dick  said  noth- 
ing, nor  could  he,  so  quickly  did  her  words  flow,  but  in 
dripping  trousers  watched  her  in  mute  astonishment.  With 
mild  looks  for  words,  he  asked,  What  does  all  this  mean? 
What  have  I  done?  The  expression  of  his  face  changed 
till  it  seemed  to  say,  you  surely  must  have  gone  mad  to 
act  like  this.  Of  complex  emotions  in  the  scene  there  were 
none,  only  a  deaf  fixity  of  intention,  such  as  two  quarreling 
animals  are  conscious  of  in  their  prolonged  disputes. 

The  brown  of  Kate's  eyes  was  dim,  but  occasionally  it 
flashed  to  a  dull  gold  tint,  and  as  she  hurried  up  and  down 
the  room,  her  hair  became  unloosened  and  hung  down  her 
shoulders,  like  a  sheaf  of  black  plumes.  Dick  thought  of 
changing  his  clothes,  but  the  intensity  of  her  passion  de- 
tained him.  Stopping  suddenly  before  the  table  she  poured 
out  a  tumbler  of  sherry,  and  drank  it  almost  at  a  gulp. 
Nauseous  it  was  to  her  taste  as  lukewarm  water,  and  she 
yearned  for  the  burning  fervors  of  brandy.  They  would 
sting  her,  would  awake  the  dull  ache  of  her  palate  to  life  to 
animation.  She  knew  well  where  was  the  bottle,  she  could 
see  it  in  her  mind's  eye,  the  darling  black  neck  leaning 
against  the  frame  of  the  picture.  Why  should  she  not  go 
and  fetch  it,  and  insult  him  with  the  confession  of  her  sin  ? 
Was  it  not  he  who  drove  her  to  it?  So  Kate  thought  in 
her  madness,  and  the  lack  of  courage  to  execute  her  wishes 
angered  her  still  further  against  the  fat  creature  who  lay 


362  A  Mummer's  Wife 

staring  at  her,  lying  back  in  the  arm-chair.  Applying  her- 
self again  to  the  sherry  she  swallowed  greedily. 

"  For  goodness  sake,"  said  Dick,  who  began  to  get 
alarmed,  "  don't  drink  like  that !    You'll  get  drunk." 

"  Well,  what  does  it  matter  if  I  do  ?  It  is  you  who  drive 
me  to  it.     If  you  don't  like  it,  go  to  Miss  Vane." 

"  What !  You've  not  finished  with  that  yet  ?  Haven't 
I  told  you  twenty  times  that  there's  nothing  between  me  and 
Miss  Vane?  I  haven't  spoken  to  her  for  the  last  three 
days." 

"  That's  a  lie !  "  shrieked  Kate.  "  You  went  to  meet 
her  this  morning.  I  saw  you.  Do  you  take  me  for  a  fool  ? 
But  oh  !  I  don't  know  how  you  can  be  such  a  beast !  If  you 
wanted  to  desert  me,  why  did  you  ever  take  me  away  from 
Hanley?  But  you  can  go  now,  I  don't  want  the  leavings 
of  that  creature." 

Taken  aback  by  what  was  nothing  more  than  a  random 
guess,  Dick  hesitated,  and  then  deciding  that  he  might  as 
well  be  caught  out  in  two  lies  as  in  one,  he  said,  as  a  sort 
of  forlorn  hope : — 

"  If  you  saw  us  you  must  have  seen  that  she  was  with 
Jackson,  and  that  I  did  not  do  any  more  than  raise  mv 
hat." 

Kate,  who  was  too  excited  to  follow  out  the  train  of  the 
simplest  idea,  made  no  answer,  and  continued  to  rave  forth 
incoherent  statements  of  all  kinds.  In  the  meanwhile, 
the  landlady  came  up  to  ask  when  she  should  bring  up  the 
leg  of  mutton,  but  she  went  away  frightened.  There  was 
no  dinner  that  day.  Amid  screams  and  violent  words  the 
evening  died  slowly,  and  the  room  darkened  until  nothing 
was  seen  but  the  fitful  firelight  playing  on  Dick's  hands; 
but  still,  through  the  shadows,  passed,  like  a  figure  of  aveng- 
ing fate,  the  vague  form  of  the  woman.  Would  she  never 
grow  tired  and  sit  down?  he  asked  himself  a  thousand 
times.  It  seemed  as  if  it  would  never  cease,  and  the  in- 
cessant repetition  of  the  same  words  and  gestures  turned 
in  the  brain  with  the  mechanical  movement  of  a  wheel, 
dimming  the  sense  of  reality  and  producing  the  obtuse 
terror  of  a  nightmare.    But  from  this  state  of  semi-con- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  363 

sciousness  he  was  .suddenly  awakened  by  the  violent  ringing 
of  the  bell. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?    Can  I  get  you  anything  ?  " 

Kate  did  not  deign  to  answer  him.  When  the  landlady 
appeared,  she  said: — 

"  I  want  some  more  sherry,  I  am  dying  of  thrist." 

"  You  shall  not  have  any  more,"  said  Dick,  interposing 
energetically.    "  Mrs.  Clarke,  I  forbid  you  to  bring  it  up." 

"  I  say  she  shall,"  replied  Kate,  her  face  twitching  with 
passion. 

"  I  say  she  shall  not." 

"Then  I'll  go  out  and  get  it." 

"  No,  I'll  see  you  don't  do  that,"  said  Dick,  getting 
between  her  and  the  door.  As  he  did  so  he  turned  his 
back  to  speak  to  the  landlady.  Kate  seized  a  handful  of 
the  frizzly  hair  and  almost  pulled  him  to  the  ground. 
Twisting  round  he  took  her  by  the  wrist  and  freed  himself, 
but  this  angered  and  still  further  excited  her. 

"  You'd  better  let  her  have  her  way,"  said  the  landlady. 
"  I  won't  bring  up  much,  and  it  may  put  her  to  sleep." 

Dick,  who  at  the  moment  would  have  given  half  his  life 
for  a  little  peace,  nodded  his  head  affirmatively,  and  went 
back  to  his  chair.  He  did  not  know  what  to  do.  Never  had 
he  witnessed  so  terrible  a  scene  before.  Since  three  or 
four  days  back  this  quarrel  had  been  working  up  crescendo, 
and  now  the  landlady  brought  up  the  sherry,  Kate  seized 
the  decanter,  and,  complaining  that  it  was  not  full,  resumed 
her  drinking. 

"  So  jrou  see  I  did  get  it.  and  I'll  get  another  bottle  if  I 
choose.  You  think  that  I  like  it.  Well,  you  are  mistaken ; 
I  don't,  I  hate  it.  I  only  drink  it  because  you  told  me  not, 
because  I  know  that  you  begrudge  it  to  me,  you  begrudge 
me  every  bit  that  I  put  into  my  mouth,  the  very  clothes  I 
wear.  But  it  was  not  you  who  paid  for  them.  I  earned  the 
money  myself,  and  if  you  think  to  rob  me  of  what  I  earn 
you  are  mistaken.  You  shan't.  If  you  try  to  do  so  I 
shall  apply  to  the  magistrate  for  protection.  Yes,  and  if 
you  dare  to  lay  a  hand  on  me  I  shall  have  you  locked  up. 
Yes,  yes — do  you  hear  me  ? "  she  screamed,  advajicing 
towards  him,  spilling  as  she  did  the  glass  of  wine  she  held 


S64  A  Mummer's  Wife 

in  her  hand  over  her  dress.  "  I  shall  have  you  locked  up, 
and  I  should  love  to  do  so,  hecause  it  was  you  who  ruined 
me,  who  seduced  me,  and  I  hate  you  for  it." 

She  spoke  with  a  fearful  volubility,  and  her  haranguing 
echoed  in  Dick's  ears  with  the  cruel  meaningless  sound  of 
a  water-tap  heard  splashing  on  the  flagstones  of  an  echoing 
courtyard. 

Sometimes  he  would  get  up,  determined  to  make  one 
more  effort,  and  in  his  gentlest  and  most  soothing  tones 
would  say: 

"  Now  look  here,  dear,  will  you  listen  to  me  ?  I  know  you 
well,  and  I  know  you  are  a  bit  excited;  if  you  will  believe 
me " 

But  it  was  no  use.  Apparently  she  did  not  hear  him. 
Indeed,  it  almost  seemed  as  if  her  ears  had  become  stones. 
Her  hands  were  clenched,  and  dragging  herself  away  from 
him,  she  would  resume  her  tigerish  walk.  The  roaring 
solitude  of  an  African  forest  is  all  that  that  terrible  mid- 
night can  be  compared  to.  vSometimes  Dick  wondered  at  the 
strength  that  sustained  her,  and  the  thrill  of  joy  that  he  ex- 
perienced was  intense,  when  about  two  o'clock,  after  eight 
or  ten  hours  of  the  terrible  punishment,  he  noticed  that  she 
seemed  to  be  growing  weary,  that  her  cries  were  becoming 
less  articulate.  Several  times  she  had  stopped  to  rest;  her 
head  sank  on  her  bosom,  and  every  effort  she  made  to 
rouse  herself  was  feebler  than  the  preceding  one.  At 
length  her  legs  gave  way  under  her,  and  she  slipped  in- 
sensible on  the  floor. 

Dick  watched  for  a  time,  afraid  to  touch  her,  lest  by  some 
horrible  mischance  she  should  wake  up  and  recommence  the 
terrible  scene  that  had  just  been  concluded,  and  at  least 
half  an  hour  elapsed  before  he  could  muster  up  courage 
to  undress  her  and  put  her  to  bed. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

EXT  morning,  when  recovered  from  her  drunken 
fit,  Kate  was  duly  repenteut,  and  she  begged  of 
Dick  to  forgive  her  for  all  she  had  said  and  done. 
She  told  him  that  she  loved  him  better  than 
anything  in  the  world,  and  she  persuaded  him  that  if  she 
had  taken  a  drop  too  much,  it  was  owing  to  jealousy,  and 
not  to  any  liking  for  the  drink  itself.  Why,  oh  why !  did  he 
make  her  jealous  ?  It  was  that  that  maddened  her.  When 
she  thought  of  his  being  with  another  woman  she  was  not 
responsible  for  her  actions,  and  he  must  forgive  her.  Dick 
adopted  the  theory  willingly  (every  man  is  reluctant  to  be- 
lieve that  his  wife  drinks),  and  thoroughly  deceived  by  the 
credulity  with  which  he  had  accepted  her  excuse,  Kate 
resolved  to  endure  the  direst  pangs  that  jealousy  could  in- 
flict upon  her  rather  than  have  recourse  to  brandy  for 
relief.  Jealousy!  Chance  hews  the  cornerstone  of  our 
lives.  She  had  discovered  the  word — the  plinth  whereon 
to  erect  a  guardian  demon. 

Nevertheless  she  was  true  for  a  time  to  her  resolve,  and 
submitted  to  Dick's  neglect  with  almost  stoic  resignation. 
Had  she  remained  in  Manchester,  or  had  she  even  been 
placed  in  surroundings  that  would  have  rendered  possible 
the  existence  of  a  fixed  set  of  principles,  she  might  have 
cured  herself  of  her  vice.  But  before  two  months  her  en- 
gagement at  the  Prince's  came  to  an  end,  and  Dick's  at  the 
Poyal  very  soon  followed  suit.  They  then  passed  into 
other  companies,  the  first  of  which  dealt  with  large  Shakes- 
pearean revivals.  Dick  played  successfully  Don  John  in 
Much  Ado  About  Nothing,  the  Ghost  in  Hamlet,  the  Friar 
in  Romeo  and  Juliet.  Kate  on  her  side  represented  with  a 
fair  amount  of  success  a  series  of  second  parts,  such  asEosa- 
linde  in  Romeo,  Bianca  in  Othello,  Sweet  Ann  Page  in  the 
Merry  Wives.  There  were  times  when  her  behaviour  was 
not  all  that  could  be  desired,  somtimes  from  jealousy,  some- 


366  A  Mummer's  Wife 

times  from  drink;  generally  from  a  mixture  of  the  two. 
But  on  the  whole  she  managed  very  cleverly,  and  it 
was  not  more  than  whispered,  and  always  with 
a  good-natured  giggle,  that  Mrs.  Lennox  was  not 
averse  to  a  glass.  From  the  Shakespearean  they  went 
to  join  a  dramatic  company,  where  houses  were  blown 
up  and  ships  sank  amid  thunder  and  lightning.  Dick 
played  a  desperate  villian,  and  Kate  a  virtuous  parlor- 
maid, until  one  night,  having  surprised  him  in  the  act 
of  kissing  the  manager's  wife,  she  ran  off  to  the  nearest 
pub,  and  did  not  return  until  she  was  horribly  intoxicated. 
Calling  him  the  most  awful  names,  she  staggered  on  to 
the  stage,  accusing  him  at  the  same  time  of  adultery,  and 
pointing  out  the  manager's  wife  as  his  paramour.  There 
were  shrieks  and  hysterics,  and  Dick  had  great  difficulty 
in  proving  his  innocence  to  the  angry  impresario.  He 
spoke  of  his  honor  and  a  duel,  but  as  the  lady  in  question 
was  starring,  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  had  to  be  granted 
her.  On  these  grounds  the  matter  was  hushed  up.  Never- 
theless, after  so  public  an  esclandre  it  was  impossi])le  for 
the  Lennoxes  to  remain  in  the  company.  Dick  was  very 
much  cut  up  about  it,  and,  without  even  claiming  his  week's 
salary,  he  and  his  wife  packed  up  their  baskets  and  boxes 
and  returned  to  Manchester.  There  he  entered  into  a 
quantity  of  speculations,  of  the  character  of  which  she  had 
not  the  least  idea ;  all  she  knew  was,  that  she  never  saw  him 
from  one  end  of  the  day  to  the  other.  Out  of  the  place  he 
was  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  never  did  he  return 
before  twelve  at  night.  These  hours  of  idleness  and  soli- 
tude were  hard  to  bear,  and  Kate  begged  of  Dick  to  get  her 
an  engagement.  But,  fearful  of  another  scandal  like  the 
last,  he  always  gave  her  the  same  answer — that  he  had  as 
yet  heard  of  nothing,  but  as  soon  as  he  did  he  would  let 
her  know.  Believe  him  she  didn't,  but  she  had  to  submit, 
for  she  could  never  muster  up  courage  to  go  and  look  for 
anything  herself,  and  the  long  summer  days  passed  wearily 
in  reading  the  accounts  of  the  new  companies,  and  the  new 
pieces  produced.  This  sedentary  life,  and  the  effects  of  the 
brandy,  which  she  could  now  no  longer  do  without,  soon 
began  to  tell  upon  her  health,  and  the  rich  olive  complexion 


A  Mummer's  Wife  367 

began  to  fade  to  a  sickly  yellow.  Even  Dick  noticed  that 
she  was  not  looking  well ;  he  said  she  required  change  of  air, 
and  a  few  days  after  he  burst  into  the  room  and  told  her 
gaily  that  he  had  just  arranged  a  tour  to  go  round  the  coast 
of  England  and  play  little  comic  sketches  and  operettas 
at  the  pier  theatres.  This  was  good  news,  and  the  next  few 
days  were  fully  occupied  in  trying  over  music,  making  up 
their  wardrobes,  and  telegraphing  to  London  for  the  dif- 
ferent books  wherefrom  they  would  make  their  selections. 
A  young  man  whom  Dick  had  heard  singing  in  a  public- 
house  proved  a  great  hit.  He  wrote  his  own  words,  some 
of  which  were  considered  so  excruciatingly  funny  that  at 
Scarborough  and  Brighton  he  frequently  received  a  couple 
of  guineas  for  singing  a  few  songs  at  private  houses  after 
the  public  entertainment.  Afterwards  he  appeared  at  the 
Pavilion,  and  for  many  years  supplied  the  axioms  and 
aphorisms  that  the  jeuncsse  doree  of  the  metropolis  are  in 
the  habit  of  using  to  garnish  the  baldness  of  their  native 
speech. 

For  a  time  the  sea  proved  very  beneficial  to  Kate's  health, 
but  the  never-ending  surprises  and  expectations  she  was 
exposed  to  finished  by  so  straining  and  sharpening  her 
nerves  that  the  stupors,  the  assuagements  of  drink  became, 
as  it  were,  a  necessary  make-weight.  Her  love  for  Dick 
pressed  upon  and  agonized  her ;  it  was  a  dagger  whose  steel 
was  being  slowly  reddened  in  the  flames  of  brandy,  and  in 
this  subtilization  of  the  brain  the  remotest  particles  of  pain 
detached  themselves  until  life  seemed  to  her  nothing  but 
a  burning  and  unbearable  frenzy.  What  she  wanted  of 
him  she  knew  not,  but  with  a  longing  that  was  nearly  mad- 
ness she  desired  to  possess  him  wholly ;  she  yearned  to  bury 
her  poor  aching  body,  throbbing  with  the  anguish  of  nerves, 
in  that  peaceful  hulk  of  fat,  so  calm,  so  grand,  so  invulner- 
able to  pain,  marching  amid,  and  contented  in,  its  sensuali- 
ties, as  a  stately  bull  grazing  amid  the  pastures  of  a  succu- 
lent meadow\ 

Unkind  he  never  was  to  her ;  the  soft  sleek  manner  that 
had  won  her  remained  ever  the  same,  but  she  would  have 
preferred  a  blow.  It  would  have  been  something  to  have 
felt  the  strength  of  his  hand  upon  her.    She  wanted  an  emo- 


368  A  Mummer's  Wife 

tion;  she  longed  to  be  brutalized.  She  knew  when  she 
tortured  him  with  reproaches  she  was  alienating  from  her- 
self any  affection  he  might  still  bear  for  her ;  but,  neverthe- 
less, she  found  it  impossible  to  restrain  herself.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  devil  within  her  that  goaded  her  until  all 
power  of  will  ceased,  and  against  her  will  she  had  to  obey 
its  behests.  A  blow  might  exorcise  this  spirit.  Were  he  to 
strike  her  to  the  ground  she  thought  she  might  still  be  saved ; 
but,  alas!  he  remained  as  kind  and  good-natured  as  ever. 

The  bottle  was  now  generally  hidden  under  the  mattress ; 
and  to  disguise  her  drunkenness  she  had  to  exaggerate  her 
jealousy.  The  two  were  now  mingled  so  thoroughly  in  her 
head  that  she  could  scarcely  distinguish  one  from  the  other. 
She  knew  there  were  women  all  around  him;  she  could  see 
them  ogling  him  out  of  the  little  boxes  at  the  side  of  the 
stage.  How  they  could  be  such  beasts  slie  couldn't  conceive. 
Behind  the  scenes  they  stood  for  hours  waiting  for  him, 
and  she  was  told  they  had  come  for  engagements.  Baskets 
of  food  came  for  him,  pork  pies  and  tongues,  but  these  she 
pitched  out  of  the  window ;  and  the  ears  of  one  little  wretch, 
whom  she  had  found  loitering  about  the  stage-door,  she 
had  soundly  boxed. 

Sometimes  in  her  suspicions  Kate  was  right,  sometimes 
wrong,  but  in  all  and  every  case  they  accentuated  the  neu- 
rosis, occasioned  by  alcohol,  from  which  she  was  suffering. 
Still  by  some  extraordinary  cunning,  she  contrived  for 
some  time  to  regulate  her  drinking  so  that  it  should  not 
interfere  Mdth  business,  and  on  the  rare  occasions  when 
Dick  had  to  apologize  to  the  public  for  her  non-appearance 
she  insisted  that  it  was  not  her  fault;  and  from  a  mixture 
of  vanity,  and  a  wish  to  conceal  his  wife's  shame,  the  poor 
man  still  believed,  and  argued  with  the  friends  who  knew  of 
his  trouble,  that  his  wife  had  no  real  taste  for  liquor — that 
she  never  drank  except  when  she  had  "  those  infernal  jeal- 
ous fits  upon  her." 

.  But  instead  of  diminishing,  their  quarrels  seemed  to  grow 
of  more  frequent  occurrence.  After  the  big  row,  when  she 
threw  the  soup  tureen  into  his  lap,  for  a  montli  nothing  ex- 
cept a  few  disagreeable  evenings  disturbed  their  peace ;  but 
lately  two  fights,  that  had  lasted  respectively  two  and  three 


A  Mummer's  Wife  369 

days,  had  rendered  the  continuance  of  the  sea-side  tour 
impossible.  Jealousy  might  or  might  not  be  the  cause,  but 
at  any  rate  Kate  was  often  in  a  state  that  prevented  her 
appearance  on  the  stage,  and,  as  nothing  could  be  done  with- 
out her,  Dick  had  begun  to  think  of  retvirning  to  London. 
He  had  been  now  in  the  provinces  some  years,  and  up  in 
town  changes  might  have  occurred  which  he  hoped  to  be 
able  to  turn  to  his  advantage :  nearly  all  recent  speculations 
had  proved  successful,  and  out  of  the  piers  he  had  saved  a 
couple  of  hundred  pounds. 

For  the  provincial  actor  a  London  theatre  is  a  temptation 
at  once  divine  and  irresistable,  and  Dick  had  met  lately  a 
very  extraordinary  person,  whom  he  thought  might  be 
worth  looking  after.  Is  it  necessary  to  say  that  this  being 
was  a  woman?  The  acquaintanceship  had  come  about  in 
this  way.  One  morning  Dick  had  escaped  from  his  wife, 
who  was  raging  about  the  house  in  a  towering  passion. 
Wearied  with  the  shrieked  upbraidings  which  had  been  ring- 
ing in  his  ears  since  morning,  his  thoughts  turned  to  some 
place  where  he  could  find  peace  and  solitude.  The  pier 
being  completely  deserted  at  two  o'clock,  he  had  gone  down 
there,  and  sitting  on  one  of  the  benches  in  the  sun,  he 
watched  idly  the  liquid  tranquillity  of  a  tide  that  has  at- 
tained its  plenitude  amid  the  languors  of  a  windless  day. 
No  sun  was  visible,  but  the  sky  was  full  of  an  inner  radi- 
ance, and  one  black  boat  heaved  voluptuously  on  the  sweet 
blue  bosom  of  the  sea.  The  heat  was  sweltering,  and  in 
the  solitude  of  the  baking  woodwork  a  few  officials  moved 
round  the  theatre,  whose  tin  cupolas  were  scarcely  visible 
against  the  discolored  blue  of  the  sky. 

But,  "out  of  sight,  out  of  mind;" — he  had  already  almost 
forgotten  Kate's  unfortunate  caprices  of  temper,  and  a 
thousand  theatrical  projects  had  begun  to  balance  them- 
selves in  his  mind,  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a 
strange-looking  creature  in  a  green  silk  dress.  The  color 
contrasted  vividly  with  the  pale  shimmer  of  the  sea,  and 
judging  from  the  monstrous  coquetry  with  which  the 
wearer  caught  up  the  voluminous  skirt,  it  was  impossible 
not  to  think  of  her  but  as  the  inmate  of  an  asylum.  As  if 
fascinated,  Dick  watched  her.  They  were  alone  on  the  deck, 
24 


370  A  Mummer's  Wife 

As  she  passed  she  bowed,  smirked,  looking  back  over  the 
green  silk  with  the  most  grotesque  movements  possible  to 
imagine.  Her  gilt  hair  slipped  from  under  a  black  battered 
bonnet,  and  in  huge,  shapeless  hands  she  held  a  manu- 
script which  she  glanced  at  from  time  to  time. 

''  She's  learning  a  part,  I'll  be  hanged  if  she  ain't.  I 
wonder  who  she  can  be  ?  What  a  good  make-up  that  would 
be  for  a  farcical  comedy,"  thought  Dick. 

Up  and  down  she  went,  flaunting  herself  like  an  aged 
cockatoo  in  the  sun. 

At  last  he  determined  to  speak  to  her,  and  having  noticed 
that  she  generally  made  a  pause  at  one  particular  part  of 
her  eccentric  promenade,  he  went  and  stationed  himself 
there.  The  thing  was  done  in  a  second;  encouraged  by  a 
couple  of  good  ogles,  he  ventured  to  remark  that  the  soli- 
tude of  the  pier  was  favorable  to  study. 

"Yes,  at  this  time  of  the  day,  but  at  all  others  it  is  crowded 
with  the  hubbub  of  the  world  that  knows  no  aspiration; 
but  now,  in  front  of  the  sea,  I  can  fancy  myself  alone  with 
my  heroes." 

"  And  who  are  your  heroes,  may  I  ask  ?  "  said  Dick,  re- 
pressing a  smile.    This  was  even  more  than  he  had  expected. 

"  My  heroes  are  here,"  she  answered,  tapping  the  manu- 
script with  her  knotted  fingers,  "  the  brave  young  spirits  of 
the  old  world." 

"  Oh,  I  see ;  that  is  one  of  your  own  poems,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  am  studying  it  for  recitation.  I  am  going  to 
recite  it  at  a  lecture  on  the  chastity  of  the  marriage  state, 
which  1  am  going  to  give  next  week  at  the  Working  Men's 
Club." 

"  And  is  the  poem  on  the  subject  of  the  chastity  of  the 
marriage  state  ?  " 

"  Only  indirectly,  just  as,  indeed,  are  all  noble  thoughts." 

Dick  did  not  understand,  but  the  fact  that  a  lady  ,was 
going  in  for  a  recitation  argued  that  she  was  interested  in 
theatricals. 

Then,  with  his  ears  pricked,  like  a  hound  who  has  got 
wind  of  something,  he  said  with  a  sweet  smile  that  showed 
a  wliole  row  of  white  teeth — 


A  Mummer's  Wife  371 

"  Being  an  actor  myself,  I  will  take  the  liberty  of  ask- 
ing you  to  allow  me  to  look  at  your  poem." 

"  So  you  are  an  actor !  I  was  not,  then,  mistaken.  I 
recognized  that  you  looked  nobler  than  the  rest.  But  you 
asked  to  look  at  my  poem.     It  is  a  classical  cartoon." 

"  The  devil  it  is,"  thought  Dick.  "  I  wonder  what  that 
means  ?  " 

"  Would  you  like  to  hear  me  recite  it  ?  " 

"  Very  much,  indeed." 

Settling  herself  into  as  dramatic  an  attitude  as  her  sack- 
like body  w^ould  allow,  she  began — 

"  Fifth  Classical  Cartoon. 
"  Harpti^. 

*'  The  offspring  of  Neptune  and  Terra,  daughters  of  earth  and  of 
ocean. 

Dowered  with  fair  faces  of  woman,  capping  the  bodies  of  vultures  ; 

Armed  with  sharp,  keen  talons  ;  crushing  and  rending  and  slaying, 

Blackening  and  blasting,  defiling,  spoiling  the  meats  of  all  banquets  ; 

Plund'ring,  perplexing,  pursuing,  cursing  the  lives  of  our  heroes, 

Ever  the  Harptiie  flourish — just  as  a  triumph  of  evil. 

But  their  thousands  on  thousands  flourish  from  childhood,  ensnaring 

By  every  art,  trick  of  evil,  weakness,  deceit,  and  pollution. 

The  noble,  the  brave,  and  the  loyal,  spreading  their  nets  for  de- 
struction. 

Harptiie  waltz  in  our  ball-rooms,  breathing  fierce  breath  that  is 
poison 

Over  the  promise  of  manhood,  over  the  faith  and  the  love-light 

That  glows  in  the  hearts  of  our  bravest  for  all  of  their  kind  that  is 
weaker — 

The  chivalrous  fire  of  knighthood  that  honors  the  title  of  woman. 

Harptia?  stand  by  our  altars,  HarptiiB  sit  by  our  hearthstones. 

Harptias  suckle  our  children,  Harptia)  ravish  our  nation."  &c. 

It  would,  however,  be  useless  to  relate  further  the  cruel- 
ties the  HarptifB  are  in  the  habit  of  committing.  For  at 
least  half  an  hour  the  cock-eye  rolled,  and  the  cracked 
voice  poured  out  the  verses  with  ever-increasing  fury. 
Sometimes  fearing  they  might  be  overheard,  Dick  looked 
round  nervously.  But  all  was  still — the  town  dozed  be- 
hind the  green  blinds  of  the  distant  houses,  and  the  very 
water  seemed  too  lazy  to  lap. 

At  last  the  chanting  voice  ceased  and  said  in  plain  prose. 


3*72  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  hope  it  touches  a  noble  chord  in  your  heart.  Do 
you  approve  of  my  manner  of  giving  the  hexameters?  " 

"  I  thinlc  the  idea  very  fine;  but — but — if  vou'll  permit 
me " 

"  Certainly." 

"  Well,  there  are  questions  of  elocution  I  would  like  to 
speak  to  you  about.  I  am  afraid  that  I  have  to  run  away 
now;  but  we  are  sure  to  meet  again." 

"  You  will  find  me  every  day  at  five  at  my  hotel,  and  I 
should  like  to  avail  myself  of  your  instruction." 

"  Thank  you;  I  shall  do  myself  the  pleasure  of  calling 
on  you  to-morrow  afternoon;  so  for  the  present  good-by." 

"  You  do  not  know  my  name.  Oh!  you  men  of  genius 
are  so  full  of  forgetfulness,"  she  said,  ogling  him  until 
even  her  glass  eye  looked  as  if  it  were  about  to  melt. 
"  Here  is  my  card." 

Dick  had  no  appointment.  The  reason  of  his  desire  to 
get  away  was  fear  of  being  surprised  by  his  wife.  Well- 
defined  hopes  of  turning  his  strange  acquaintance  to  ac- 
count had  arisen  in  his  mind,  and  having  no  wish  to  see 
his  plans  nipped  in  the  bud  by  stupid  violence  and  Jeal- 
ousy, he  had  come  suddenly  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
interview  had  better  be  relegated  to  some  more  favorable 
spot  than  the  publicity  of  the  pier.  Had  the  lady  not 
given  him  her  card  he  had  intended  to  follow  her  home. 
There  was  no  need  for  that  now;  but  as  he  examined  the 
piece  of  pasteboard  a  perplexed  expression  passed  over  his 
face.  "  Mrs.  Forest,  Mother  Superior  of  the  Yarmouth 
Convent,  Alexandra  Hotel,  Hastings." 

"By  Jove!  she  is  even  more  cracked  than  I  thought. 
But  if  she  were  sane  she'd  be  no  use  to  me,"  he  said  chuck- 
ling. "Mother  Superior!  Classical  cartoons!  Chastity 
of  marriage!  What  a  combination!  However,  I  shall 
know  all  about  it  to-morrow.  I  mustn't  miss  her.  But  I 
had  l)etter  tear  up  this  card.  If  Kate  came  across  it  all 
the  fat  would  be  in  the  fire.  I  sha'n't  forget — Mrs.  Forest, 
Alexandra  Hotel."  Then  his  thoughts  faded  into  dreams, 
and  when  they  again  detached  themselves,  he  murmured, 
casting  the  while  the  fragments  of  white  paper  into  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  373 

lazy,  sun-stricken  water.  "  No,  I  really  couldn't;  I  hope 
it  will  be  all  strictly  platonic." 

It  was  this  adventure  that  had  finally  decided  Dick  to 
try  his  fortune  in  London.  His  interview  with  the  Mother 
Superior  at  the  Alexandra  Hotel  had  turned  out  a  com- 
plete success,  and  after  some  hours  of  conversation  certain 
conclusions  had  been  arrived  at.  The  story  of  the  differ- 
ent soul-tremors  and  searchings  which  had  induced  her  to 
establish  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  weak  in  spirit  had  proved 
a  little  wearisome;  but  when  it  had  been  definitely  ascer- 
tained that  the  convent  was  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  that 
the  tastes  of  the  Mother  Superior  were  now  operatically 
inclined,  and  that  she  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  compose 
the  first  act  of  a  piece  in  which  there  was  question  of 
Buddhists,  stars,  daggers,  and  flowers,  Dick,  too,  began  to 
feel  himself  endowed  with  the  gift  of  second  sight,  and  to 
see  visions  of  property-masters.  Eastern  scenery,  and 
armies  of  red-legged  girls,  at  whose  head  he  should  reign 
sovereign  lord  and  master. 

It  was  very  unfortunate,  he  considered,  that  he  could  not 
attend  the  lecture  on  the  chastity  of  marriage;  but  they 
were  engaged  to  do  a  week  at  Margate,  and  he  didn't  care 
to  disappoint  the  manager.  Mrs.  Forest  might  turn  out, 
after  all,  the  veriest  of  delusions.  Far  better  give  her  an 
appointment,  and  engage  to  meet  her  at  the  beginning  of 
next  month  in  London;  by  that  time  he  would  be  able  to 
set  everything  straight,  and  wind  up  his  little  tour  with 
appropriate  decency. 

Henceforth  the  nostalgia  of  the  pavements  took  com- 
plete possession  of  him,  and  he  counted  the  days  he  would 
still  have  to  remain  in  these  monotonous  sea-side  resorts 
listening  to  the  perpetual  quarrelling  of  his  wife.  He 
said  little,  but  in  his  heart  he  was  very  weary  of  her,  and 
he  looked  forward  to  London  as  the  panacea  for  all  his 
troubles.  There,  in  a  lodging  well  out  of  the  way,  up  in 
Islington,  for  example,  he  hoped  to  settle  her.  There  she 
would  be  completely  lost,  and  he  would  be  free  to  take  up 
the  thread  of  his  old  associations.  A  new  door  was  opened 
to  him,  and  through  it  he  saw  defiling  a  fresh  series  of 
adventures  and  speculations.     Each  day  of  delay  hung 


374  A  Mummer's  Wife 

like  a  millstone  round  his  neck.  However,  he  had  not 
long  to  wait.  Chance  came  to  his  assistance  and  helped 
him  along  the  road  up  which  he  had  already  travelled  in 
imagination.  Through  the  medium  of  the  poste  restante 
a  correspondence  had  been  established  between  himself 
and  Mrs.  Forest.  Projects  did  not  lag  in  this  lady's  mind. 
Excited  by  a  mixture  of  personal  vanity,  blown  to  red- 
heat  by  the  praises  that  had  been  lavished  upon  her  opera, 
and  a  mad  admiration  of  Dick,  whom  she  addressed  in  her 
letters  as  a  "  god-like  being,"  she  had  already  commenced 
negotiations  for  the  lease  of  a  London  theatre.  Convents 
and  platonic  marriages  were  consigned  to  the  limbo  of 
forgotten  things,  and  now  at  last  in  the  heyday  of  her 
forty-fifth  year,  she  saw  herself  the  joyous  possessor  of 
love,  fame,  and  a  multitude  of  other  things  which  she 
sought  to  give  expression  to  in  a  series  of  classical  car- 
toons. These  were  regularly  received  by  the  fat  mum- 
mer, who,  it  is  needless  to  say,  thrust  them  as  rapidly  as 
possible  out  of  the  way.  It  took  him  as  it  was  a  great 
part  of  his  leisure  to  extract  from  the  quasi-hexametric 
letters  that  came  with  the  poems  the  few  phrases  they 
contained  to  the  point.  "  Nothing  can  be  done  without 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Forest,  "  and  if  you  don't  come  at  once  we 
shall  miss  getting  a  theatre  this  season,  and  without  a 
theatre  we  are  helpless.  The  Church  merely  sketches  the 
cold  thin  outline  of  humanity's  passion  in  its  appeal  to 
its  reasoning  power  of  discrimination  between  right  and 
wrong,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Stage  takes  into  its 
picture  of  appeal  all  the  vivid  coloring  of  truth,  etc." 

"  I  know — four  pages  more  of  that  rot;  none  of  that  for 
me,"  said  Dick  as  he  put  the  letter  into  his  breast  pocket, 
and  went  out  to  telegraph  to  Montgomery  to  engage  rooms 
for  them.  Kate,  when  he  told  her  of  his  plans,  made  no 
remark.  Afraid  to  express  an  opinion,  she  remained  si- 
lent, but  in  truth  she  was  secretly  delighted.  She  saw  a 
possibility  of  realizing  a  long-cherished  project.  To  a 
woman  there  is  always  an  infinite  charm  in  the  society  of 
a  man  to  whom  she  never  can,  never  intends  to,  give  her- 
self. The  power  that  this  platonic  affection  exercises  over 
her  is  scarcely  less  ardent  than  the  strongest  sensual  pas- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  375 

sion;  it  is  the  best  poetry  her  nature  is  capable  of,  and  for 
it  many  women  will  risk  compromising  themselves  in  their 
husband's  eyes.  The  excitement  of  fancied  victories  ob- 
tained over  themselves,  of  mock  examinations  of  con- 
science, satisfies  an  ideal;  and  Kate,  above  most  women, 
was  subject  to  such  nervous  sentimentalities.  Ever  since  the 
breaking  up  of  the  Constellation  Company  she  had  kept 
up  a  correspondence  with  Montgomery.  She  looked  back 
sometimes  with  tears  of  pleasure  to  their  long  walks  and 
conversations,  when  in  mingled  joy  and  fear  she  trembled 
lest  he  should  pronounce  the  vows  of  love  which  she  could 
see  hesitating  on  his  lips.  To  find,  therefore,  that  in  her 
life  of  change  one  thing  remained  unchanged  would  be  in 
itself  a  delight.  She  was  wearied  of  this  perpetual  danc- 
ing and  serio-comic  singing,  and  at  times  her  head  filled 
with  vague  remembrances  of  her  successes  in  the  part  of 
Serpolette,  she  dreamed  of  the  applause  of  a  London  the- 
atre. She  still  entertained  dim  hopes  of  one  day  taking 
a  definite  place  in  her  profession.  Besides,  the  study  that 
this  ambition  entailed  would  occupy  her  mind  and  enable 
her  to  conquer  her  passion  for  drink.  This  she  was  deter- 
mined to  do,  for  in  her  sober  moments  she  did  not  fail  to 
recognize  the  hold  that  it  had  upon  her.  "  Ah !  but  all  will 
be  different  in  London,"  she  would  then  say  to  herself,  "  it 
will  be  a  new  life.  In  these  towns  where  one  is  only  a  few 
days — a  week  at  the  outside — there  is  nothing  to  do.  In 
London  we  shall  be  settled  in  a  home,  and  I  shall  have 
plenty  to  look  after." 

Such  were  Kate's  hopes  and  expectations,  but  the  reality 
unfortunately  in  no  wise  corresponded  with  the  dream.  A 
little  lodging  behind  the  Cattle  Market  in  Islington,  was 
the  home  he  gave  her,  and  there  she  was  left  from  ten  in 
the  morning  to  twelve  at  night,  to  kill  time  as  best  she 
could.  From  the  very  first  day,  on  the  plea  of  searching 
for  work,  he  had  left  her  alone.  She  had  pictured  herself 
visiting  the  great  thoroughfares,  being  appalled  by  the  size 
of  the  shops,  by  the  plate-glass  and  the  immense  show- 
rooms, where,  in  blazing  mirrors  rutilant  with  gas  and 
electric  light,  fairy-like  ball  dresses,  wreathed,  with  flowers, 
are  prolonged  to  infinity.     Then  there  were  the  theatres. 


376  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Of  those  wonderful  pleasure-palaces,  capable  of  realizing 
in  consecutive  acts  the  icy  plains  of  the  North  Pole  and 
the  tropical  luxuriance  of  South  Africa,  she  had  heard 
Dick  and  Montgomery  talk  until  her  brain  turned  with 
visions, — visions  composed  of  the  skirts  of  a  million  ballet- 
girls,  of  pink  tights,  and  the  radiant  armor  of  a  thousand 
choristers;  of  endless  perspectives;  of  beautiful  princesses 
singing  in  the  green  stillness  of  sycamore  boughs,  whilst 
above  the  dripping  murmur  of  cascades  shepherds  listen  to 
the  longings  of  plaintive  love. 

A  scattered  and  puzzling  mixture  of  these  two  dreams 
made  the  psychology  of  Kate's  mind  on  arriving  in  Lon- 
don. She  had  begged  of  Dick  to  take  her  out  to  see  the 
sights,  and  he  had  promised  to  do  so  when  he  had  time. 
The  excuse  grieved  her  but  she  said  nothing,  so  deter- 
mined was  she  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  and  control  her  tem- 
per. Montgomery  came  once  to  see  her,  but  the  visit  had 
not  proved  as  pleasant  as  either  had  expected.  Anxious 
to  know  what  her  husband  was  doing,  in  what  work  he  was 
engaged,  she  eagerly  cross-examined  the  musician.  In 
the  name  of  their  friendship  she  appealed  to  him  to  tell  her 
the  truth,  but  all  she  could  get  from  him  was  an  assurance 
that  he  knew  nothing  of  Dick's  affairs.  The  argument  was 
continued  for  some  time,  increasing  in  warmth  with  each 
answer,  until  unable  to  contain  herself  she  locked  herself 
in  her  bedroom,  leaving  her  platonic  lover  to  find  his  way 
out  of  the  house  by  himself. 

For  an  hour  she  cried  bitterly,  feeling  all  the  while  that 
she  was  the  most  miserable  woman  in  the  world.  Oh!  what 
had  she  done?  Was  all  she  was  suffering  now  a  punish- 
ment for  having  run  away  from  Ralph  ?  (This  was  the  first 
time  she  had  thought  of  him  for  months.)  She  couldn't 
say,  she  didn't  know.  All  she  knew  was  that  she  wished 
she  were  dead.  During  these  fits  of  dejection,  the  long, 
low  cravings  for  drink  that  oppressed  her  were,  as  it  were, 
irresistible.  Sometimes  they  tempted  her  in  the  stomach, 
which  imperatively  demanded  the  warm  comfort  of  the 
stimulant;  sometimes  it  was  in  the  throat  that  she  felt  the 
fiery  fingers  of  the  alcohol.  And  there  the  grasp  tight- 
ened, until,  with  a  convulsive  movement,  she  would  raise 


A  Mummer's  Wife  377 

her  hands  as  if  she  intended  to  tear  open  her  flesh  to  free 
herself  from  her  tormentor.  This  was  bad,  but  the  worst 
of  all  was  when  the  temptation  attacked  her  in  the  head, 
and  she  remembered  the  delicious  lassitudes  the  heavenly 
forgetfulness  of  her  miseries  that  a  few  glasses  of  brandy 
would  give  her.  Over  and  over  again  she  would,  with  a 
shudder,  chase  the  delicate  vision  from  her  mind.  To 
avoid  it  she  would  move  from  one  room  to  the  other,  from 
tile  armchair  to  the  sofa.  It  was  the  regular  English 
thirty-shillings-a-week  lodgings.  In  the  sitting-room 
there  were  the  well-known  prints,  "  With  the  Stream  " 
and  "  Against  the  Stream; "  the  usual  wax  flowers  stood 
on  a  mahogany  stand;  the  familiar  round  table,  with  a 
sideboard,  always  emitting  smells  of  tea  and  sugar,  facing 
a  hideous  gilt  mirror  that  stared  above  the  mantelpiece. 
In  the  bedroom  the  worn  carpet  could  scarcely  be  seen  for 
large  pieces  of  oilcloth.  The  white-curtained  bed,  how- 
ever, looked  clean;  the  basin-stand  was  broken,  and  the 
one  window  commanded  a  view  of  some  tiled  roofs,  sur- 
mounted by  red  chimney  pots,  that,  in  their  turn,  were 
topped  by  arrows  and  other  curious  smoke-abating  con- 
trivances in  zinc. 

The  landlady,  the  mother  of  ten  children,  who  scrambled 
perpetually  about  the  mouth  of  the  kitchen  staircase,  was 
sulky  and  surly,  and  she  resented  all  the  attempts  that 
Kate  made  to  visit  her  in  the  parlor. 

Thus  passed  away  Kate's  dreams  of  London.  Maddened 
by  regrets,  despairs,  and  temptations,  she  had  once,  the 
third  day  after  her  arrival,  attempted  to  see  the  town  by 
herself.  She  felt  very  lonely,  but  determined  not  to  be 
beaten,  and  imagining  the  magnificent  shops,  the  monu- 
ments that  were  the  wonder  of  the  world,  she  strove  to 
struggle  through  the  sordid  and  barren  streets  of  Isling- 
ton. Dreaming  she  went,  her  head  still  filled  with  visions 
of  wealth  and  grandeur,  past  butchers'  and  bakei's'  shops 
little  better  than  those  of  Hanley.  Was  this  all?  Had 
London  nothing  more  to  show  than  this?  she  asked  herself 
a  hundred  times.  Having  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the 
town,  she  could  not  apply  to  the  policemen  to  direct  her 
to  any  particular  spot.     What  she  wanted  was  to  see  Lon- 


378  A  Mumvier's  Wife 

don,  and  she  was  in  London,  only  it  did  not  correspond  in 
the  least  to  the  London  of  her  imagination.  Next  day, 
however,  she  was  more  fortunate.  Having  consulted  the 
landlady,  she  drove  in  a  cab  to  St.  Paul's,  and  then  to  the 
British  Museum.  There,  through  the  cold  spacious  rooms, 
she  wandered  idly,  too  weary  to  try  to  interest  herself  in 
the  long  galleries  of  eternally  suspended  gestures.  A  tear- 
less sorrow  lay  heavy  on  her  heart,  and  the  dust  of  many 
memories  choked  her,  and  when  she  again  wandered  into 
the  sunlight  that  terrible  feeling  of  strangeness  grew  upon 
her,  that  awful  sensation  of  being  lost  amid  a  myriad 
beings,  which  a  great  city  produces  on  a  new-comer.  All 
appeared  to  her  impossible.  The  theatres  of  which  she 
had  heard  so  much  faded  from  her  mind,  and  she  grew 
bewildered  in  the  fearful  Babel  of  scenes  that  crowded  in 
limitless  confusion  upon  her. 

Down  in  the  alleys  in  the  dark  shadows  of  archways  she 
saw  women  in  crumpled  bonnets  nursing  children  on  their 
knees.  With  one  hand  they  held  the  thin  blue-veined 
breast,  with  the  other  the  box  of  matches  that  saved  them 
from  the  policeman's  grip.  Kate  looked  at  these  creatures 
in  terror.  In  the  streets  the  sunlight  glared,  falling  on 
the  pavements  in  wide  sheets  of  whiteness.  The  traffic 
roared,  the  huge  dray-horses  and  their  piles  of  barrels 
crushed  along  the  narrow  ways,  the  hansom  cabmen  swore 
from  their  high  seats;  and  through  the  force  entanglement 
the  white  legs  of  a  footman,  the  fat  rein-holding  hands  of 
the  coachman,  and  the  aristocratic  delicacy  of  two  cen- 
turies of  idleness,  shading  herself  with  sunward-slanting 
parasol,  passed  like  a  vision  of  fate  mocking  at  the  in- 
utility of  toil. 

Asking  her  way  of  the  blue-coated  policemen  who  at  the 
crossings  directed  the  movements  of  this  monster  machine, 
Kate  dragged  through  a  series  of  squares  and  crescents 
until  she  came  to  the  Euston  Eoad;  but  Islington  was  still 
far  away,  and  she  lost  herself  a  hundred  times  and  had  to 
retrace  her  steps.  She  could  scarcely  understand  what 
was  said  to  her;  one  turning  was  so  like  another  and  the 
labyrinth  seemed  so  endless  that  she  felt  she  would  like 
to  give  up  the  struggle  and  in  some  quiet  corner  lie  down 


A  Mummer's  Wife  379 

and  die.  The  heat  was  suffocating,  the  trees  were  white 
with  dust,  and  the  acid  smell  of  the  fruit  shops  poisoned 
the  stagnating  air.  Inside  a  public-house  Kate  had  re- 
solved not  again  to  enter,  but  now  so  ill  and  exhausted  did 
she  feel  that  there  was  no  manner  of  doubt  in  her  mind 
that  without  some  little  refreshment  she  would  never  be 
able  to  get  home.  No  sooner  had  this  idea  formed  itself 
in  her  miiid  than  a  longing  for  a  drop  of  gin  assailed  her 
with  a  fury  so  intense  that  to  relieve  herself  of  the  ex- 
cruciating pain  of  resistance  she  hastened  her  steps  and 
entered  the  first  public-house  she  came  to.  She  could  not 
wait  to  find  a  private  corner,  but  boldly  went  up  to  a  bar 
where  a  crowd  of  working  men  were  drinking.  A  large 
strong  girl  was  just  being  pushed  through  the  swinging 
doors.  Her  black  eyes  stared  with  a  strange  fixity  in  the 
sunlight,  and  not  recognizing  the  young  man  who  was 
supporting  her,  she  raised  her  bared  arms  vaguely,  as  if 
seeking  to  defend  herself. 

Kate  cast  one  swift  look  of  fear,  but  the  craving  for  gin 
was  in  her  throat,  and  she  gave  her  order.  Still  there  was 
enough  shame  left  to  make  her  speak  of  having  walked  a 
long  distance,  of  having  been  overpowered  by  the  heat  of 
the  sun.  This  was  true,  and  after  the  flagstones  and  the 
raw  midday -glare,  the  cool  sawdust-strewn  floor  and  the 
subdued  light  of  the  bar  were  infinitely  refreshing.  And 
the  gin!  Never  before  had  she  experienced  a  sensation  of 
such  absolute  relief.  Perhaps  no  pleasure  is  equal  in  de- 
light to  the  sudden  cessation  of  pain,  and  in  one  moment  all 
the  awful  weakness,  mental  and  physical,  that  had  made 
her  life  for  many  days  an  aching  burden  to  bear,  an  ach- 
ing sight  to  see,  slipped  from  her,  and  she  was  transformed 
into  a  cheerful,  happy  woman.  Life  suddenly  seemed  to 
her  as  full  of  color  and  song  as  a  May  morning,  and  ex- 
changing sympathetic  remarks  with  the  barmaid,  she 
nibbled  a  hard  biscuit.  The  roughs  stared  at  her,  but 
not  offensively,  and  when  they  heard  she  was  a  stranger 
in  town,  chatted,  she  thought,  pleasantly  and  good-nat- 
uredly. Still  she  was  a  little  frightened,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  she  said  she  must  be  thinking  of  getting  home. 


380  A  Mummer's  Wife 

and  she  left  the  public  glad  with  the  conviction  of  having 
spent  there  a  very  agreeable  half-hour. 

But  long  was  the  way  to  Islington,  and  more  than  once 
had  she  to  stop  to  assuage  her  parched  throat  with  another 
and  another  quartern.  Fortunately  she  had  not  enough 
money  with  her  to  get  absolutely  tipsy,  and  when  she 
staggered  past  the  landlady,  that  severe  moralist  only 
stared  after  her,  being  uncertain  whether  it  was  drink  or 
fatigue  that  made  her  lodger  so  uncertain  on  her  legs. 
Next  morning,  of  course,  came  the  violent  reaction — the 
gloom,  the  terrible  despondency  that  the  victories  of 
stimulants  over  lassitudes  of  all  kinds  entail,  and  so  de- 
pressed was  Kate,  so  eagerly  did  she  long  for  just  one  little 
drop  to  set  her  straight,  that  she  did  not  attempt  to  detain 
Dick  when  he  took  up  his  hat  and  spoke  of  his  appoint- 
ment in  the  city  at  eleven.  He  seemed  grateful  for  the 
respite  from  the  usual  reproaches,  and  gladly,  when  she 
asked  him  to  give  her  five  shillings,  he  slipped  a  sover- 
eign into  her  hand.  Then  they  parted  for  the  day,  mutu- 
ally relieved  of  each  other's  society.  At  heart  she  hated 
to  see  him  leave  her;  had  it  not  been  for  the  fierce  craving 
for  that  which  would  dissipate  the  miserable  melancholy 
that  rendered  existence  unbearable  she  would  have  im- 
plored him  to  remain. 

The  minutes  were  counted  until  she  thought  he  was 
fairly  in  his  'bus;  then  bonnet-strings  were  hurriedly  tied, 
and  with  rapid  steps  she  hastened  away  to  buy  the  liquor 
herself.  Her  present  landlady  was  not  to  be  trusted.  The 
idea  of  the  necessity  of  keeping  her  strength  up  was  always 
present  in  Kate's  mind.  She  only  wanted  a  little  drop 
to  pull  herself  together;  she  had  drunk  too  much  yester- 
day, it  was  true,  but  she  would  not  do  so  again.  To  make 
sure  of  this  she  bought  a  supply  of  her  favorite  fiction,  and 
with  a  bottle  under  her  shawl  and  a  bundle  of  Family 
Heralds  in  her  hand  she  returned  home  unsuspected. 

Then  from  morning  to  evening,  locked  in  her  room  with 
the  gin  bottle  on  the  table  and  the  periodical  on  her  knees, 
for  a  week  she  dreamed  passively,  re-living  in  confused 
remembrances  her  whole  existence.  Incapable  of  under- 
standing a  word  of  the  book  whose  leaves  she  turned  over, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  381 

her  eyes  looked  stupidly  into  space.  It  seemed  that  her 
brain,  saturated  with  sentimental  adventures  of  all  kinds, 
was  incapable  of  absorbing  any  more.  From  her  hands 
the  Journal  would  slip  slowly,  and  she  would  abandon  her- 
self to  a  large,  sad  current  of  memory,  on  whose  gray  sur- 
face floated  like  rubbish  trivialities  of  all  kinds — recollec- 
tions of  commonplace  events.  From  Hanley  the  torrent  of 
the  years  came  pouring  through  the  devious  winding  chan- 
nels of  her  Bohemian  life;  it  rolled  and  eddied  now  round 
the  remembrance  of  her  dead  child,  like  waves  around  a 
post  so  deeply  sunk  in  the  river's  bed  that  its  fury  could 
not  bear  it  away. 

Ah!  if  the  baby  had  lived  she  would  have  had  something 
to  live  for;  but  now  she  was  alone,  she  was  deserted.  Dick 
cared  for  her  no  longer.  It  was  very  cruel.  "What  had  she 
done  to  merit  such  unhappiness  ?  Ilefiections  such  as  these 
were  generally  the  culminating  point  of  the  reveries,  and 
then  suddenly  she  would  burst  into  a  flood  of  tipsy  tears. 
Sometimes  she  dreamed  of  pursuing  her  truant  husband, 
but  after  a  few  staggering  steps  in  the  direction  of  the 
door  she  would  relinquish  the  attempt,  and  guided  by  a 
sort  of  obtuse  cunning  would  lie  down  on  her  bed  and  there 
sleep  off  the  best  part  of  her  drunkenness.  Then  it  was 
impossible  when  she  awoke  to  undertake  to  do  anything 
before  having  a  drink,  and  so  the  days  passed, — a  moment 
of  passion  lost  between  a  booze  and  a  booze. 

Yet  no  one  suspected  her.  An  instinct  like  that  which 
guides  a  bird  to  conceal  its  nest  continually  saved  her. 
She  found  that  by  passing  her  arm  up  the  chimney  she 
could  reach  a  crossing  flue  where  a  good  store  of  bottles 
might  be  hidden  away,  and  when  she  went  out  to  buy 
drink  never  did  she  forget  to  buy  sweetstuff  that  would 
take  all  smell  from  her  breath;  nor  did  she  ever  neglect 
to  complain  of  sick  headaches,  so  that  the  landlady  might 
not  guess  the  reason  of  her  constant  siestas. 

This  period  lasted  until  the  sovereign  he  had  given  her 
was  spent,  and  the  last  drop  from  the  last  bottle  was 
drained.  Feeling  very  bad  one  morning  she  had  got  up 
when  Dick  was  asleep  and  finished  what  remained  from 
overnight.     The  dose  did  her  good,  but  not  having  any- 


382  A  Mummer's  Wife 

thing  to  cat  after  it,  and  fearing  ho  would  smell  it  upon  her, 
she  had  shammed  illness,  and  refused  to  get  up  for  break- 
fast. For  the  same  reason  she  had  been  afraid  to  ask  him 
for  any  money  before  he  left.  She  hoped  to  be  able  to 
pass  one  day  at  least  without  tasting  drink.  For  an  hour 
or  more,  ill  and  wretched,  living  upon  herself  like  an  ani- 
mal in  a  state  of  torpor;  and  listening  to  a  series  of  dreams 
that  passed  through  her  brain,  she  lay  helpless  and  inert, 
plunged  in  a  moody  melancholy  that  robbed  her  of  all 
powers  of  will.  The  landlady  when  she  came  to  remove  the 
breakfast  things  spoke  kindly,  and  asked  if  she  might  get 
her  a  cup  of  hot  tea.  Sighing  and  complaining  Kate  con- 
sented, but  when  it  was  brought  it  tasted  as  filth  in  her 
mouth,  and  she  had  to  put  it  away.  By  two  o'clock  she  had 
succeeded  in  dressing  herself;  the  craving  for  liquor  then 
became  intolerable;  if  she  didn't  take  something  she  felt 
she  would  die;  to  bear  up  against  the  dreadful  depression 
any  longer  was  impossible;  a  little  drop  she  must  have  to 
put  her  right,  and  she'd  take  no  more.  But  apply  to  the 
landlady  she  dared  not,  credit  she  had  none,  being  a 
stranger  in  the  neighborhood;  and  she  had  no  clothes  of 
her  own  that  she  could  well  spare.  At  that  moment  her 
eyes  fell  on  a  pair  of  trousers  belonging  to  Dick.  She  felt 
ashamed  of  herself,  but  she  did  not  hesitate  long.  The 
strength  of  her  desire  killed  her  scruples,  and  with  the 
garment  wrapped  up  in  brown  pa]3er  she  hurried  out  of  the 
house.  Dick  would  go  on  wearing  what  he  had  on  for  at 
least  a  day  or  two,  and  by  that  time  she  would  have  the 
money  to  redeem  his  pair  of  best  trousers. 

So  eager  was  she  that  even  the  ominous  three  gilt  balls 
did  not  cause  her  to  hesitate,  and  throwing  her  parcel 
down  on  the  counter  she  asked  how  much  they  would  give 
her  upon  it.  Five  shillings  was  proposed.  She  at  once 
agreed,  and  was  hurrying  away  when  the  man  handed  her 
a  quantity  of  letters  he  had  taken  out  of  one  of  the  pockets. 
Putting  them  mechanically  aside  she  thought  nothing  of 
the  matter  until,  during  the  course  of  the  evening,  she 
remembered  that  she  would  have  to  put  them  away  in  some 
place  where  Dick  would  be  likely  to  find  them,  without, 
however,  being  specially  reminded  of  the  absence  of  his 


A  Mummer's  Wife  383 

trousers.  As  she  sought  for  a  solution  of  this  dilTiculty 
her  attention  was  attracted  by  the  fact  that  the  handwrit- 
ing was  undoubtedly  that  of  a  woman.  Instantly,  like  a 
fire  burning  sullenly  in  some  dark  dull  twilight,  a  red 
flame  of  jealousy  glowed  through  her  drink-sodden  brain. 
xA.h !  this  was  the  business  that  kept  him  out  all  day,  that 
did  not  leave  him  a  moment  to  take  her  out;  it  was  to  be 
free  to  make  love  to  this  creature  that  he  had  buried  her, 
his  lawful  wife,  up  in  this  filthy  hole  at  the  back  end  of 
Islington.  Feverishly  she  strove  to  read,  but  the  MS.  was 
very  difficult,  and  she  beat  her  hands  in  little  fits  of  mad 
rage  at  her  inability  to  decipher  these  extraordinary  effu- 
sions. The  classical  cartoons  puzzled  her  for  a  long  tin^e, 
and  holding  her  temples  with  both  hands,  Kate  spelt 
through  a  great  deal  of  number  four.  It  was  filled  with 
allusions  to  heroes,  the  glory  of  manhood,  and  to  the  hor- 
rible river  that  guards  the  dominions  of  Pluto.  Several 
times  lines  such  as  the  following: — 

*'  Zeus,  the  monarch  of  heaven,  clothed  in  the  form  of  a  mortal, 
Kneeling,  caressed  and  caressing,  drank  from  her  lips  joy  and  love- 
draughts." 

caused  Kate  to  dash  the  manuscript  away  from  her,  and  to 
burst  into  hysterical  tears. 

Were  these  descriptions  of  love  interviews  which  her 
husband  had  enjoyed?  Kate  asked  herself,  without,  how- 
ever, being  able  to  arrive  at  any  very  definite  conclusion. 
Whenever  she  thought  she  had  hold  of  an  important  clue 
it  slipped  from  her,  lost  in  a  flat  fog  of  mythological  refer- 
ences. Her  very  inability  to  understand,  which  she  attrib- 
uted to  drink,  made  her  more  angry,  and  she  was  on  the 
point  of  tearing  the  manuscript  piecemeal,  when  she  saw 
something  that  looked  like  prose  on  one  or  two  of  the 
flyleaves.  The  lady  was  in  the  habit  of  writing  her  notes 
on  the  back  of  her  poems,  and  from  these,  though  they 
were  much  obscured  by  ridiculously  high-flown  expressions, 
Kate  was  enabled  to  gather  that  Dick  and  a  certain  Mrs. 
Forest  had  taken  a  theatre,  where  they  were  rehearsing 
Montgomery's  opera,  preparatory  to  producing  a   grand 


384  A  Mummer's  Wife 

spectacular  piece  on  an  Indian  subject  by  the  author  of  the 
cartoons. 

Staggering  to  her  feet,  Kate  caught  up  the  papers  and 
heaped  them  away  in  one  of  Dick's  drawers.  Drunk  as  she 
was,  the  bitterness  of  what  she  had  just  learned  rose,  like 
burning  vapor,  through  her  intoxication,  and  she  was 
shaken  by  an  acute  pain.  Every  feeling  was  tortured  to 
the  utmost,  as  a  victim's  joints  might  be  on  the  rack.  The 
man  she  loved — yes,  with  a  love  that  touched  on  the  con- 
fines of  madness — she  now  knew  was  unfaithful  to  her. 
The  suspicion  that  had  for  months  been  gnawing  at  her 
heart,  serpent-like,  opened  its  jaws  to  suck  her  down  ait 
once  into  its  monstrous  gullet.  For  her  there  was  nothing 
now  but  to  drink.  She  did  not  care  now  whether  he  saw 
her  drunk  or  sober.  What  did  it  matter  ?  So  he  had  found 
a  woman  who  was  starting  him  in  a  theatre,  and  they 
were  rehearsing  Montgomery's  opera,  and  they  had  never 
told  her  a  word  about  it.  They  had  never  offered  her  a 
part,  but  had  shut  her  up  here  out  of  the  way.  Through 
the  great  gloom  of  grief  a  small  sorrow  will  often  raise  its 
face;  and,  like  a  small  bird's  call  heard  in  the  deeps  of  a 
roaring  forest,  this  little  cry  of  personal  vanity  sent  forth 
from  the  bottom  of  her  troubled  heart  a  shrill,  sharp  note. 

And  Montgomery  !  This  was  the  reason  he  had  not  been 
to  see  her ;  this,  then,  was  the  end  of  all  their  friendship ! 

Her  grief  appeared  to  her  to  be  infinite,  and,  like  clouds 
drifting  through  a  gray  expanse,  recollections  of  all  she 
had  suffered  flowed  through  her  mind,  and  conscious  of  the 
terrible  contradiction  existing  between  her  life  as  she  had 
dreamed  it  and  as  it  lay  before  her  in  all  its  miserable 
helplessness,  she  wept  for  hours.  Even  the  bottle  of  drink 
lay  untouched,  and  it  was  not  until  she  heard  her  husband's 
step  on  the  stairs  that  a  throb  of  courage  leaped  into  her 
heart. 

Starting  to  her  feet  she  stood  waiting  for  him,  her  eyes 
dilated  with  passion.  She  did  not  attempt  to  put  away  the 
bottle  of  gin.  Wliat  did  it  matter  if  he  knew  that  she 
drank?  Was  it  not  he  who  drove  her  to  it?  Pushing  the 
door  open,  Dick  walked  into  the  room  with  his  deliberate, 
elephantine  movements.    The  first  glance  showed  him  what 


A  Mummer's  Wife  385 

he  had  to  expect,  and  lie  inwardly  hoped  that  it  was  not 
going  to  be  an  all-night  affair. 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  You  don't  even  come  home  to 
dinner  now,"  she  said  in  a  voice  made  husky  with  drink. 

"  I  couldn't  to-day,  I  had  such  a  lot  of  business  to  look 
after,"  he  answered  in  the  most  conciliatory  manner  he 
could  assume. 

"  Business !     I  know  d d  well  what  your  bus — iness 

was!  I  know  all  about  it.  You  and  your  filthy  woman, 
Mrs.  Forest,  and  the  theatre  she  has  taken  for  you,  where 
you  are  rehearsing  Montgomery's  opera,"  Kate  exclaimed, 
sobered  for  a  moment  by  the  sheer  force  of  her  passion. 

So  astonished  was  he  that  instead  of  denying  her  accusa- 
tions he  stood  wondering  how  she  had  obtained  her  in- 
formation. At  these  evident  signs  of  culpability  her  anger 
increased.  She  advanced  upon  him,  her  teeth  set  and  her 
eyes  staring  as  if  they  were  going  to  drop  from  their 
sockets. 

Dick  watched  in  alarm.  He  really  feared  she  was  going 
mad,  and  with  an  instinctive  movement  he  put  out  his 
arms  to  restrain  her. 

"  Don't  touch  me  !  don't  touch  me !  "  she  screamed,  while 
she  struck  at  him  with  white  clenched  hands. 

Dick  defended  himself  with  the  ease  of  a  strong  man, 
but  nevertheless,  she  managed  to  strike  him  a  heavy  blow 
across  the  face. 

"  Take  that,  and  that,  and  that,  you  beast !  Oh,  you 
beast !  you  beast !  you  brute !  " 

Her  shrieks  rang  through  the  house.  Pursuing  her  hus- 
band she  struck  at  him.  As  she  gathered  her  sleek  little 
body  to  spring,  he  retreated  round  the  table,  like  a  lumber- 
ing bull  striving  to  escape  from  an  attacking  feline  crea- 
ture. 

"  Ah !  how  do  you  like  that  ?  "  she  cried  as  she  tore  his 
face  with  her  nails,  and  she  laughed  diabolically  when  she 
saw  the  blood  trickling  down  his  cheeks.  "  That  will  teach 
you  to  go  messing  about  after  other  women.  I'll  settle  you 
before  I've  done  with  you." 

Dick  asked  her  no  more  to  keep  quiet,  but  from  time  to 
time  a  fervid  prayer  rose  up  in  his  mind  that  the  land- 
25 


386  A  Mummer's  Wife 

lady  might  bo  out.  Were  she  not,  it  were  absurd  to  hope 
she  would  not  hear,  so  awful  was  the  noise.  Chairs  were 
thrown  down,  the  coal  scuttle  had  been  upset,  and  at  last, 
as  Dick  tried  to  get  out  of  the  room,  Kate  rushed  against 
the  rosewood  cabinet  which  stood  next  the  door,  and  one  of 
the  green  china  vases  was  sent,  with  its  glass  shade,  crash- 
ing to  the  ground. 

This  unexpected  incident  caused  Kate  to  pause  in  her 
attack,  and  in  that  moment  the  fictitious  strength  that  pas- 
sion had  given  ebbed  suddenly  from  her,  and  she  sank  weak 
and  breathless  into  a  chair. 

At  the  same  time  came  a  knock  at  the  door.  It  was  the 
landlady;  and,  trying  to  conceal  his  wounds,  Dick  strove 
to  say  something  about  his  wife  having  had  a  fit. 

"  Fit  or  no  fit,  I  hope  you'll  leave  my  house  to-morrow." 

Dick  made  no  answer,  but  shutting  the  door  in  the  face 
of  the  indignant  householder,  went  into  the  bedroom  to 
wash  the  blood  from  his  face.  Whilst  so  engaged  he  kept 
a  close  watch  on  his  wife.  She  had  poured  herself  out  a 
large  glass  of  raw  gin,  but  he  made  no  attempt  to  prevent 
her  drinking  it. 

"  The  sooner  she  drinks  herself  helpless  the  better,"  he 
tliought.  "  I  shall  then  be  able  to  put  her  to  bed,  and  we 
shall  have  some  peace." 

For  this  purpose  he  remained  as  long  as  possible  out  of 
sight,  and  as  he  plastered  his  bleeding  face  he  wondered 
how  he  should  account  for  his  wounds  to  Mrs.  Forest. 
There  was  no  doubt  but  that  Kate  had  torn  him  very  badly. 
The  scratches  she  had  given  him  before  their  marriage  were 
nothing  to  these.  One  side  of  his  nose  was  well-nigh 
ripped  open,  and  there  were  two  big,  deep  gashes  running 
right  across  his  face,  from  the  cheek-1)one  to  his  ear.  It 
was  very  lucky,  he  thought,  she  had  not  had  his  eye  out. 
But  how  was  he  to  account  for  his  face?  It  would  never 
do  to  say  he  had  cut  himself  while  shaving;  and  a  bump 
against  a  wall  in  the  dark  did  not,  as  an  explanation,  seem 
to  him  at  all  satisfactory. 

Against  his  wife  he  felt  no  fiery  resentment,  only  a 
vague  and  heavy  regret  that  she  could  not  contain  herself, 
that  she  could  not  help  giving  way  to  these  frantic  jeal- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  387 

ousies.  He  had  accepted  in  his  good-natured  manner  the 
theory  that  she  only  drank  when  she  was  in  a  rage;  but 
now  as  he  undressed  her  and  laid  her  in  her  half-unloosened 
clothes  upon  the  bed,  his  eyes  wandered  round  the  room 
inquiringly :  a  hitherto  unperceived  association  of  ideas 
established  itself  in  his  mind,  and  as  if  by  magic  a  thou- 
sand unconsisdered  trifles  were  linked  and  revealed  until 
the  scattered  ends  were  formed  into  a  mass  of  seemingly 
irrefutable  evidence.  The  languor,  the  momentary  uncon- 
sciousness, the  blinking  of  the  eyes,  the  violent  passions — 
he  remembered  them  all,  and  their  meaning  suddenly 
became  clear.  Yes,  there  was  little  doubt  of  it ;  his  wife 
was  a  confirmed  drunkard.  But  no  sooner  had  the  thought 
framed  itself  than,  resenting  the  vileness  of  the  accusation, 
he  commenced  to  argue  with  himself.  He  knew  that  she 
took  a  drop  too  much  when  she  was  in  a  passion,  but  be- 
lieve that  she  was  a  confirmed  drunkard  he  could  not.  To 
be  that  she  would  have  to  drink  constantly,  and  he  had 
never  found  the  smell  of  drink  upon  her,  nor  a  trace  of  it 
in  the  place.  And  yet —  Here  Dick's  eyes  wandered  round 
the  room,  and  he  proceeded  to  make  a  thorough  search.  The 
wardrobes,  the  cupboards,  behind  the  shutters,  every  recess 
was  ransacked,  but  without  avail.  Pleased  at  his  failure 
to  discover  proofs,  but  still  not  convinced,  he  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor  irresolute.  At  last  the  fireplace  at- 
tracted his  attention.  Deciding  instantly,  as  if  with  an 
inspiration,  he  walked  to  it.  He  hesitated  a  moment,  but, 
mastering  his  repugnance,  he  leaned,  put  his  arm  up,  and 
brought  down  a  bottle.  Looking  at  it  he  read,  "  Best  Old 
Tom."  Another  and  another  dive  was  made,  until  five 
large-sized  bottles  were  placed  on  the  hearthrug. 

Comment  was  impossible,  and  listening  to  the  hissing 
gaslight,  he  stood,  unable  to  collect  his  thoughts,  wondering 
vaguely  how  long  she  would  have  taken  to  have  made  up 
the  half-dozen.  Then,  going  to  the  bedroom  door,  he  looked 
at  her.  Amid  a  mass  of  draggle-tailed  skirt  a  pair  of  worn 
elastic-sides  and  a  bit  of  striped  stocking  caught  the  eye. 


CHAPTEE    XXVI 

EXT  morning  when  Dick  opened  his  eyes  he  rose 
from  his  uncomfortable  position  on  the  sofa,  and 
stole  very  softly  on  tiptoe  to  the  bedroom  door 
and  looked  in.  For  a  moment  he  considered  the 
possibility  of  abstracting  the  basin  from  the  stand;  but 
remembering  the  sticking-plaster  on  his  face,  he  decided 
that  the  best  thing  he  couk!  do  would  be  to  wash  his  hands 
and  brush  his  clothes  in  a  hairdresser's  shop.  Besides, 
as  he  had  an  appointment  at  the  corner  of  the  National 
Gallery  with  Mrs.  Forest,  it  would  not  do  to  run  the  risk 
of  awakening  his  wife.  The  line  of  bottles  on  the  hearth- 
rug attracted  his  attention,  and  recalling  as  they  did  the 
terrible  scene  of  the  night  before,  a  gray  cloud  passed 
over  his  face.  For  a  moment  he  thought  of  removing 
them,  but  a  glance  at  the  clock  showed  that  he  had  not  a 
moment  to  lose,  and  he  hurried  away. 

He  was  very  dusty  and  dirty,  but  after  the  proposed  two- 
penny clean,  on  the  top  of  a  'bus  ho  set  himself  to  think 
out  the  stage  arrangement  for  the  wedding  of  the  Prince 
Florimel. 

With  the  exception  of  his  domestic  troubles,  life  had 
been  flowing  very  smoothly  for  him  of  late.  In  the  first 
place,  Mrs.  Forest  was  wildly  in  love  with  him,  and  that 
meant  receiving  checks  and  classical  cartoons.  The  for- 
mer were  for  different  services  rendered — the  reconstruc- 
tion of  her  opera,  and  the  various  expenses  connected  with 
the  theatre.  The  reason  for  the  sending  of  the  latter  was 
never  explained,  and  Dick  felt  no  curiosity  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  contented  himself  with  thanking  the  authoress 
for  her  gracious  thoughts  of  him,  and  changing  the  con- 
versation as  rapidly  as  possible.  This  was  not  difficult 
to  do,  for  they  had  always  much  business  to  talk  over 
whenever  they  met.  As  indicated  by  the  letter  that  had 
fallen  into  Kate's  hands,  Mrs.  Forest  and  Dick  were  the 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  389 

joint  proprietors  of  the  Opera  Comiqiie,  and  were  now 
daily  rehearsing  Montgomery's  opera.  With  the  taking 
of  the  theatre  Dick  had  had  very  little  to  do.  "  Inspired," 
as  she  said  in  one  of  her  letters,  "  by  his  god-like  pres- 
ence, by  the  glory  of  his  manhood,  whose  magnificence 
made  her  dream  of  the  noble  heroes  of  the  Icelandic 
legends/'  she  had  determined  that  a  stage  was  the  fitting 
place  for  the  exhibition  of  his  "  seraph-like  qualities,"  and 
had  acted  accordingl3^  On  this  point  she  would  take  no 
refusal,  nor,  indeed,  did  Dick  trouble  her  with  one.  "  Most 
managements,"  he  argued,  "  had  been  begun  under  similar 
conditions,  and  had  in  the  end  turned  out  every  success- 
ful. Why  not  this  one?  To  be  sure,  he  hadn't  much  faith 
in  her  Indian  opera,  notwithstanding  the  bit  of  construc- 
tion he  had  put  into  it,  l)ut  that  couldn't  be  helped.  They 
were  going,  at  any  rate,  to  begin  with  Montgomery's  piece, 
and  that,  he  felt  sure,  would  turn  out  all  right;  particu- 
larly since  the  suggestion  he  had  made  to  Harding,  who 
had  done  the  book,  for  the  introduction  of  certain  effects — 
a  devilish  clever  fellow — ^he  had  had  his  eye  on  him  for 
some  time.  And,  now  he  came  to  think  of  it,  it  wouldn't 
be  a  bad  plan  to  get  him  to  write  up  to  Mrs.  Forest's 
scenery  and  dresses.  When  her  piece  was  a  failure,  they 
could  put  up  the  other,  and  in  that  way  good  material 
would  not  be  let  go  to  waste.  The  only  thing  was  that 
Harding  was  going  in  for  writing  novels,  and  didn't  seem 
to  care  much  for  theatrical  work.  Still,  you  could  always 
get  at  authors  when  you  had  a  bit  of  coin  to  show  before- 
hand. 

In  this  way  Dick's  thoughts  ran  on  until  the  omnibus 
drove  into  Trafalgar  Square,  and  Mrs.  Forest's  waddling 
walk  was  caught  sight  of.  She  was  the  first  at  the  rendez- 
vous. 

"  Good  lord !  "  he  said  to  himself,  "  isn't  she  awful !  If 
it  weren't  for  poor  Montgomery  and  his  piece  I  think  I 
would  drop  her." 

She  certainly  did  look  a  ludicrous  object.  As  she  ad- 
vanced to  meet  him.  she  smiled  and  ogled;  and,  holding 
up  her  skirt  with  the  most  coquettish  movement,  she  held 
out  to  him  a  soft  perspiring  hand. 


390  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  You  looked  so  noble,  so  grand,  as  you  descended  grap- 
pling with  strong  hands  at  the  ladder,  that  I  could  not  help 
thinking  of  my  sixth  classical  cartoon.  You  received  it, 
did  3' on  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ! — yes,  but  for  the  moment  I  cannot  recall  the 
passage  you  allude  to." 

"  I  had  no  particular  phrase  in  view,  my  hero,  my  young 
god,  in  my  thoughts;  but  the  general  tone — did  you  not 
notice  ?  "  Then,  after  a  long  silence  and  a  deep  sigh,  "  But 
did  you  not  notice  that  I  introduced  some  lines,  so  as  to 
relieve  the — the — of  the  hexameter  ?  '' 

"  Of  course  I  noticed  it,"  said  Dick,  who  had  thrown  the 
packet  aside  the  moment  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  it 
contained  no  note  referring  to  checks  or  the  theatre,  "  and 
a  very  pretty  song  it  was." 

"  Which  one  do  you  mean  ?  The  one  Atalanta  sin^s  just 
before  the  Parcge  begin  their  chant?" 

''  Yes,  that's  it." 

"  '  Ye  gods,  they  fail,  they  falter, 

Thy  hand  hath  struck  them  down 
Their  woof  the  Parcje  alter. 

Beware  thy  mother's  frown  ! 
What  such  as  I  in  glory 

Compared  with  such  as  thee  ? 
Would,  in  the  conflict  gory, 

That  I  had  died  for  thee  ! ' " 

With  lifted  face  Mrs.  Forest  recited  these  verses  in  a 
quailing  undertone,  the  socket  of  her  false  eye  watering 
profusely.  She  was  not  more  than  five  feet  high ;  Dick  re- 
mained over  six  feet,  dragged  down  as  he  was  by  the  hob- 
bling little  tub  by  his  side. 

"  Of  course  you  understand  what  I  meant  to  tell  you  in 
those  verses  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Forest  after  a  long  silence. 

Fearing  a  downright  avowal  of  love,  he  squeezed  the 
hand  that  lay  on  his  arm. 

"  I  like  them  as  well  as  any  I  have  written.  They  came 
to  me  without  an  effort.  I  never  truly  knew  before  the 
ecstasy  of  an  inspiration.  I  was  thinking  of  introducing 
them  into  my  opera.     How  would  you  advise  me?" 

"  I  am  afraid  it  is  a  bit  serious,  considered  from  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  391 

point  of  view  of  a  musical  setting,"  he  said,  gladly  avail- 
ing himself  of  this  occasion  of  changing  the  subject  of 
the  conversation,  which  was  beginning  to  alarm  him. 
"  You  know  in  an  opera  3'ou  want  something  more 
simple.  But  that  reminds  me.  Have  3^ou  heard  from 
Taylor  about  the  pages'  dresses  in  the  second  act  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  got  a  letter  this  morning  from  the  scene- 
painter.    He  writes  to  say  that " 

"  Oh,  that's  no  matter,  he  can  wait !  But  will  you  prom- 
ise to  come  round  with  me  to  the  costumier's  immediately 
after  the  rehearsal  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  will  promise  you  anything.  You  know  I 
can  refuse  you  nothing." 

All  Dick  cared  was  that  her  affection  for  him  should  be 
sufficiently  profound  to  ensure  the  safety  of  the  ballet 
girl's  dresses.  To  probe  the  secrets  of  her  heart  to  any 
further  extent  he  had  no  desire,  and,  eager  to  avoid  any 
compromising  confidences,  he  entered  into  a  long  descrip- 
tion concerning  the  piece  and  its  prospects  of  success,  ven- 
turing even  to  discuss  the  ultimate  fortunes  of  the  theatre. 
Knowing  that  he  would  be  sure  to  stumble  against  some 
acquaintance  in  the  Strand,  he  led  his  fair  companion 
through  Long  Acre  and  round  by  Drury  Lane,  praying  the 
while  that  she  might  not  cast  any  more  of  those  ludicrously 
languishing  glances  at  him.  Whenever  they  came  to  a  cor- 
ner he  looked  anxiously  round  to  see  if  they  were  watched. 
She  did  look,  he  thought,  so  frightfully  rediculous,  that 
it  was  a  punishment  to  have  to  walk  in  the  street  with 
her. 

At  last  they  arrived  at  the  stage  entrance.  It  was  in  a 
small,  narrow  street.  Groups  of  young  girls  and  men 
who  gave  way  res]:)ectfully  before  them  blocked  up  the 
pavement.  Dick  felt  as  if  he  should  die  of  shame.  Mrs. 
Forest  picked  up  her  skirt,  and  flaunting  and  flirting  like 
a  grotesque  bird,  passed  into  the  theatre,  followed  by  a 
sniggering  crowd. 

In  the  meantime,  Kate  lay  on  her  bed,  helpless  as  ever, 
just  as  Dick  had  left  her.  It  was  not  until  he  had  given  his 
preliminary  instructions  to  the  ballet-girls,  and  Mont- 
gomery had  struck  the  flrst  notes  of  his  opening  chorus. 


392  A  Mummer's  Wife 

that  a  ray  of  consciousness  pierced  through  the  heavy, 
drunken  stupor  that  pressed  upon  her  brain,  with  vague 
movements  of  hands,  she  endeavored  to  fasten  the  front  of 
her  dress,  and  witli  a  groan  rolled  herself  out  of  the  light. 
But  her  efforts  to  fall  back  to  insensibility  were  unavail- 
ing. Implacable  as  the  dawn  that  slips  and  swells  through 
the  veils  of  night,  a  pale  waste  of  consciousness  forced 
itself  upon  her.  First  came  the  curtains  of  the  bed,  then 
the  bare  blankness  of  the  wall,  and  then  the  great  throb- 
bing pain  that  lay  like  a  lump  of  lead  just  above  her  fore- 
head. Her  mouth  was  clammy  as  if  it  were  filled  with 
glue,  her  limbs  weak  as  if  by  violent  blows  they  had  been 
beaten  to  a  pulp.  She  was  all  pain,  but,  worse  still,  a 
horror,  huge  and  black,  of  her  life  crushed  and  terrified 
her,  until  she  buried  her  face  in  the  pillow  and  wept  and 
moaned  for  mercy.  Nevertheless,  to  remain  in  bed  was 
impossible.  The  pallor  of  the  place  was  intolerable,  and 
sliding  her  legs  over  the  side  she  stood,  scarcely  able  to 
keep  her  feet.  The  room  swam  as  if  in  a  mist;  she  held 
her  head  with  clasped  hands ;  the  top  of  it  seemed  to  be  lift- 
ing off.  With  much  difficulty  she  staggered  as  far  as  the 
chest  of  drawers,  and  remained  for  some  minutes  trying 
to  recover  herself,  thinking  of  what  had  happened  over- 
night. She  had  been  drunk,  she  knew  that,  but  where  was 
Dick  ?  Where  had  he  gone  to  ?  What  had  she  said  to  him  ? 
All  mental  effort  was  agony;  but  she  had  to  think,  and 
straining  at  the  threads  of  memory,  she  strove  to  follow 
one  to  the  end.  But  it  was  no  use.  Hopelessly  it  en- 
tangled, and  with  a  low  cry  she  moaned,  "  Oh,  my  poor 
head  !  my  poor  head !  I  cannot,  cannot  remember."  Still, 
the  question,  "  What  has  become  of  Dick  ?  "  continued  to 
torture  her.  Eaising  her  face  suddenly  from  her  arms, 
she  hitched  up  her  falling  skirts,  and  seeing  at  that  mo-- 
ment  the  bottle  on  the  table,  she  went  into  the  sitting-room 
and  poured  herself  out  a  little,  which  she  mixed  with  water. 

"Just  a  drop,"  she  murmured  to  herself,  "to  pull  me 
together.  Oh !  never  will  I  take  too  much  again ;  it  was 
his  fault ;  until  he  put  me  in  a  passion  I  was  all  right." 

But  at  that  moment  the  five  bottles  which  Dick  had 
taken  out  of  the  chimnev  and  had  left  standing  in  a  line 


A  Mummer's  Wife  393 

on  the  hearthrug  caught  her  eyes,  and  she  let  fall  on  the 
table  the  tumbler  she  held  in  her  hand.  The  thoughts 
the  liquor  had  awakened  in  her  were  suddenly  paralyzed, 
and  all  down  her  body  she  felt  herself  breaking  into  a  cold 
sweat. 

"  So  he  has  found  it  out — so  he  found  it  out,"  she  mur- 
mured to  herself;  and  then  the  sharp  grinding  noise  of 
teeth  was  heard,  her  glance  darkened,  a  lowering  expres- 
sion fixed  itself  upon  her  face,  and  with  trembling  fipgers 
she  poured  herself  out  another  glass  of  gin-and-water.  A 
new  life  then  seemed  to  generate,  to  be  melting  through  her; 
ideas  began  to  define  themselves. 

"  Ah !  so  he  has  been  spying  after  me,"  she  murmured 
through  her  set  teeth.  "  So  he  has  been  spying  after  me." 
And  sudden  as  the  fall  of  a  curtain,  hatred,  bitter  and 
black,  fell  in  front  of  her  mind,  and  in  sullen  impotence  she 
raged  against  her  husband.  His  innocence  and  her  own 
culpability  were  as  oil  that  fed,  and  as  winds  that  blew  the 
flames  of  her  passion.  To  trample  him  under  her  feet, 
to  tear  him  as  a  starving  beast  tears  raw  flesh,  was  all  that 
she  could  now  think  of.  She  had  not  even  presence  of 
mind  to  invent  an  excuse  whereby  she  might  charge  him 
with  some  part  of  her  fault,  of  her  sin.  Up  and  down 
the  room  she  walked,  wringing  her  hands,  beating  them 
against  the  furniture  in  frantic  paroxysms  of  fury.  Her 
rage  was  blind  and  deaf ;  only  a  faint  color  of  blood  danced 
before  her  eyes,  and  it  was  thus  she  remembered  the  scenes 
of  overnight,  how  she  had  torn  his  cheeks  and  had  seen  the 
blood  flow.  To  do  so  again  her  fingers  itched,  and  she 
longed  to  feel  his  flesh  yielding  beneath  the  sharp  nails. 
Her  nerves  were  strung  like  strained  cords  for  the  con- 
flict. The  solitude  of  the  room  irritated  her;  up  and 
down  she  went,  gradually  wearing  out  the  fictitious  strength 
the  glass  of  gin-and-water  she  had  drunk  had  given  her, 
and  this  continued  until  she  again  staggered  under  a  pro- 
found feeling  of  weakness.  Then  she  poured  out  some 
more  spirits,  and,  having  drunk  them  undiluted,  she  sank 
into  a  chair.  But  when  the  first  moments  of  exhaustion 
were  over  she  commenced  to  think  more  calmly,  and 
through  the  stupor  of  her  brain,  clumsily,  thoughts  began 


394  A  Mummer's  Wife 

to  appear.  The  curtain  of  black  hate  was  still  undrawn; 
but  it  was  no  longer  tossed  to  and  fro  in  gusts  of  passion, 
and  more  melancholy  than  ever  in  its  foldless  extent,  it 
lay  before  her  eyes. 

She  felt  that  she  should  never  forgive  him ;  and  whenever 
she  saw  the  five  bottles,  she  experienced  a  sudden  revolt, 
and  her  anger  threatened  to  break  forth  again  into  wild 
gesticulations.  But  the  gin  held  her  back  with  mild  per- 
suasiveness, and  for  a  long  time  she  sat  moodily  thinking 
over  her  wrongs.  And  as  her  thoughts  wavered  they  grew 
softer  and  more  argumentative.  She  considered  the  ques- 
tion from  all  sides,  and,  reasoning  with  herself,  was  dis- 
posed to  conclude  that  it  was  not  all  her  fault.  If  she  did 
drink,  it  was  jealousy  that  drove  her  to  it.  Why  wasn't 
he  faithful  to  her?  Had  she  not  given  up  everything  for 
him?  Why  did  he  want  to  be  always  running  after  a  lot 
of  other  women  ?  Where  was  he  now,  she'd  like  to  know  ? 
As  this  question  appeared  in  the  lens  of  her  thought,  she 
raised  her  head  from  the  hand  on  which  it  had  sunk,  and 
stared  vacantly  into  space.  Boozed  as  she  was,  the  memory 
of  the  letters  she  had  seen  appealed  to  her. 

"  Oh,  yes,  that's  where  he's  gone  to,  is  it  ?  "  she  mur- 
mured to  herself.  "  So  he's  down  with  his  poetess  at  the 
Opera  Comique,  rehearsing  Montgomery's  opera." 

Slowly  a  determination  to  follow  him  formed  itself  in 
her  mind,  and  she  managed  to  map  out  the  course  that  she 
would  have  to  pursue.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  was  beset 
with  difficulties.  To  begin  with,  she  did  not  know  where 
the  theatre  was,  and  she  could  not  conceal  from  herself  the 
fact  that  she  was  scarcely  in  a  fit  state  to  take  a  long  walk 
through  the  London  streets.  The  spirit  drunk  on  an  empty 
stomach  had  gone  to  her  head ;  she  reeled  a  little  when  she 
walked;  and  her  own  incapacity  to  act  maddened  her.  Oh, 
good  heavens !  how  her  head  was  splitting !  What  would 
she  not  give  to  be  all  right  just  for  a  couple  of  hours,  just 
long  enough  to  go  and  tell  that  beast  of  a  husband  of  hers 
what  a  pig  he  was,  and  let  the  whole  theatre  know  how  he 
was  treating  his  wife.  It  was  he  who  drove  her  to  drink. 
Yes,  she  would  go  and  do  this.  Her  head,  it  was  true, 
seemed  as  if  it  were  going  to  roll  off  her  shoulders,  but  a 


A  Mummer's  Wife  395 

good  sponging  would  do  it  good,  and  then  a  bottle  or  two 
of  soda  would  put  her  quite  straight — so  straight  that 
nobody  would  know  that  she  had  touched  a  drop. 

It  took  Kate  about  half  an  hour  to  make  her  arrange- 
ments. In  a  basin  she  drenched  herself,  and  regardless  of 
her  dress,  let  her  hair  lie  dripping  on  her  shoulders.  The 
landlady  brought  her  up  the  soda  water,  and  seeing  what 
a  state  her  lodger  was  in,  placed  it  on  the  table  without  a 
word,  without  even  referring  to  the  notice  to  quit  she  had 
given  overnight.  Steadying  her  voice  as  best  she  could, 
Kate  asked  her  to  call  a  cab. 

"  Hansom,  or  four-wheeler  ?  "' 

"  Fo — four  wheel — er — if  you  please." 

"  Yes,  that'll  suit  3^ou  best,"  said  the  woman,  as  she  went 
downstairs.  "  You'd  perhaps  fall  out  of  a  hansom.  If 
I  were  your  husband  I'd  break  every  bone  in  your  body." 

Nevertheless,  Kate  was  now  much  more  sober,  and  weak 
and  sick  she  leaned  back  upon  the  hard  cushions  of  the 
clattering  cab.  Her  mouth  was  full  of  water,  and  the 
shifting  angles  of  the  streets  produced  on  her  an  effect 
similar  to  sea-sickness.  London  rang  in  her  ears;  she 
could  hear  a  piano  tinkling;  she  saw  Dick  directing  the 
movements  of  a  line  of  girls.  Then  her  dream  was  brought 
to  an  end  by  a  gulp.  Oh !  the  fearful  nausea ;  and  she  did 
not  feel  better  until,  flooding  her  dress  and  ruining  the  red 
velvet  seats,  all  she  had  drunk  came  up.  The  vomit,  how- 
ever, brought  her  great  relief,  and  had  it  not  been  for  a 
little  dizziness  and  weakness,  she  would  have  felt  quite 
right  when  she  arrived  at  the  stage-door.  She  was  in  a 
terrible  state  of  dirt  and  untidiness,  but  she  noticed  noth- 
ing; her  mind  was  now  fully  occupied  in  thinking  what 
she  should-  say,  first  to  the  stage-door  keeper,  and  then 
to  her  husband.  But  suddenly  an  immense  lassitude  over- 
whelmed her.  She  did  not  seem  to  have  courage  enough 
for  anything,  and  she  felt  as  if  she  would  like  to  sit  down 
on  a  doorstep  and  cry.  The  menacing  threats,  the  bitter 
upbraidings  she  had  intended,  all  slipped  from  her  like 
dreams,  and  she  felt  utterly  wretched. 

At  that  moment,  in  her  little  walk  up  the  pavement  she 
found  herself  opposite  a  public-house.     Something  whis- 


396  A  Mummer's  Wife 

pered  in  her  ear  that  after  her  sickness  one  little  nip  of 
brandy  was  necessary,  and  would  put  her  straight  in  a  mo- 
ment. She  hesitated,  but  some  one  pushed  her  from  be- 
hind and  she  went  in.  Then  a  four  of  brandy  freshened  her 
up  wonderfully.  It  enabled  her  to  think  of  what  she  had 
come  to  do,  and  to  remember  how  badly  she  was  being 
treated.  A  second  drink  put  light  into  her  eyes  and  wicked- 
ness into  her  head,  and  she  felt  she  could,  and  would,  face 
the  devil.  "  I'll  give  it  to  him ;  I'll  teach  him  that  I'm  not 
to  be  trodden  on,"  she  said  to  herself  as  she  strutted  man- 
fully, walking  on  her  heels  so  as  to  avoid  any  unsteadiness 
of  gait,  towards  the  stage-door. 

The  man  in  the  little  box  was  old  and  feeble.  He  said 
he  would  send  her  name  by  the  first  person  going  down; 
but  Kate  was  not  in  a  mood  to  brook  delays,  and,  profiting 
by  his  inability  to  stop  her,  she  banged  tlirough  the  swing- 
ing door  and  commenced  the  descent  of  a  long  flight  of 
steps.  Below  her  was  the  stage.  Between  the  wings  she 
could  see  the  girls  ranged  in  a  semi-circle.  Dick,  with  a 
big  staff  in  hand,  stood  in  front  of  the  footlights  direct- 
ing the  movements  of  a  procession  which  was  being  formed ; 
the  piano  tinkled  merrily  on  the  0.  P.  side. 

"  Mr.  Chappel,  would  you  be  good  enough  to  play  the 
Must  put  this  in  your  pocket '  chorus  over  again  ?  "  cried 
Dick,  stamping  his  staff  heavily  upon  the  boards. 

"  Now  then,  girls,  I  hear  a  great  deal  too  much  talking 
going  on  at  the  back  there.  I  dare  say  it  is  very  amusing ; 
but  if  you'd  try  to  combine  business  with  pleasure.  Now, 
who  did  I  put  in  section  one  ?  " 

Kate  hesitated  a  moment,  arrested  by  the  tones  of  his 
voice,  and  she  could  not  avoid  thinking  of  the  time  when 
she  used  to  play  Clairette ;  besides,  all  the  well-known  faces 
were  there.  Our  lives  move  as  in  circles;  no  matter  what 
strange  vicissitudes  we  pass  through,  we  generally  find 
ourselves  gliding  once  more  into  the  well-known  groves, 
and  Dick,  in  forming  the  present  company,  had  naturally 
fallen  back  upon  the  old  hands,  who  had  travelled  with 
him  in  the  country.  They  were  nearly  all  there.  Mor- 
timer, with  his  ringlets  and  his  long  nasal  drawl,  stood, 
as  usual,  in  the  wings  making  ill-natured  remarks,    Dubois 


A  Mummer's  Wife  397 

strutted  as  before,  and  tilting  liis  bishop's  hat,  exphiined 
that  he  would  take  no  further  engagement  as  a  singer; 
if  people  would  not  let  him  act  they  would  have  to  do  with- 
out him.  Miss  Leslie,  with  her  dyed  hair  tucked  neatly 
away  under  her  bonnet,  smiled  as  agreeably  as  ever.  Beau- 
mont alone  seemed  to  be  missing,  and  Montgomery,  in  all 
the  importance  of  a  going-to-be-produced  author,  strode 
alone  up  and  down  the  stage,  apparently  busied  in  thought. 
The  tails  of  a  Newmarket  coat  still  flapped  about  his  thin 
legs,  and  when  he  appeared  in  profile  against  the  scenery 
he  looked,  as  he  always  had  done,  like  the  flitting  shadow 
thrown  by  an  enormous  magic-lantern. 

Sullenly  Kate  watched  them,  tightly  gripping  the  rail 
of  the  staircase.  The  momentary  softening  of  heart,  occa- 
sioned by  the  remembrance  of  old  times,  died  away  in  the 
bitterness  of  the  thought  that  she  who  had  counted  for  so 
much  was  now  pushed  into  a  corner  to  live  forgotten  or 
disdained.  Why  was  she  not  rehearsing  there  with  them? 
she  asked  herself.  At  once  the  answer  came.  Because 
your  husband  hates  you — because  he  wants  to  make  love 
to  another  woman.  Then  a  flood  of  mad  passion  rushed  to 
her  head,  and,  as  a  torrent  a  leaf,  it  carried  her  down  the 
steps  and  sent  her  rushing  on  to  the  stage.  She  did  not 
know  what  she  was  doing;  she  remembered  not  the  dirty 
disorder  of  her  person;  she  did  not  even  hear  Mortimer 
and  Dubois  cry  out  as  she  pushed  past,  "  There's  Mrs. 
Lennox ! "  She  thought  of  nothing  but  to  revenge  herself. 

In  the  middle  of  the  stage,  however,  she  looked  round, 
discountenanced  by  the  silence  and  the  crowd,  and,  hop- 
ing to  calm  her,  Dick  advised  her,  in  whispers,  to  go  up- 
stairs to  his  room.  But  this  was  the  signal  for  her  to 
break  forth — 

"  Go  up  to  your  room  ?  "  she  screamed.  "  Never,  never ! 
Do  you  suppose  it  is  talk  to  you  that  I  came  here?  No, 
I  despise  you  too  much.  I  hate  you,  and  I  want  every  one 
here  to  know  how  you  treat  me." 

With  a  dull  stare  she  examined  the  circle  of  girls  who 
stood  whispering  in  groups,  as  if  she  were  going  to  ad- 
dress one  in  particular.     Several  drew  back,  frightened. 


398  A  Mummer's  Wife 

Dick  attempted  to  say  something,  but  it  seemed  that  the 
very  sound  of  his  voice  was  enougli. 

"•  Go  away,  go  away !  "  she  exclaimed  at  the  tojD  of  her 
voice.  "  Go  away ;  don't  touch  me !  Go  to  that  woman  of 
yours — Mrs.  Forest — go  to  her,  and  be  damned  to  you,  you 
beast !  You  know  she  is  paying  for  everything  liere.  You 
know  that  you  are " 

"  For  goodness  sake  remember  what  you  are  saying," 
said  Dick,  interrupting,  and  trembling  as  if  for  his  life. 
He  cast  an  anxious  glance  around  to  see  if  the  lady  in  ques- 
tion was  within  hearing.  Fortunately  she  was  not  on  the 
stage. 

The  chorus,  looking  like  a  school  in  their  walking- 
dresses,  crowded  timidly  forward.  The  carpenters  had 
ceased  to  hammer,  and  were  peeping  down  from  the  flies; 
■Kate,  like  the  girl  in  the  print  dress  she  had  seen  drunk 
outside  the  public-house,  stood  balancing  herself  and  star- 
ing blindly  at  those  who  surrounded  her.  Leslie  and  Mont- 
gomery, in  the  position  of  old  friends,  were  endeavoring  to 
soothe  her,  whilst  Mortimer  and  Dubois  argued  passionately 
as  to  when  they  had  seen  her  drunk  for  the  first  time.  The 
first  insisted  that  when  she  had  joined  them  at  Hanley  she 
was  a  bit  inebriated ;  the  latter  declared  that  it  had  begun 
with  the  champagne  on  her  wedding-day. 

"  Don't  you  remember  Dick  was  married  with  a  scratched 
face?" 

"  To  judge  from  present  appearances,"  said  the  come- 
dian, forcing  his  words  slowly  through  his  nose,  "he's 
likely  to  die  with  one."  At  this  sally  three  supers  retired 
into  the  wings  holding  their  sides,  and  Dubois,  furious  at 
being  outdone  in  a  joke,  walked  away  in  high  dudgeon, 
calling  Mortimer  an  unfeeling  brute. 

In  the  meantime  the  drunken  row  was  waxing  every 
moment  more  furious.  Struggling  frantically  with  her 
friends,  Kate  called  attention  to  the  sticking-plaster  on 
Dick's  face,  and  declared  that  she  would  do  for  him. 

"  You  see  what  I  gave  him  last  night,  and  he  deserved 
it.  Oh!  the  beast!  and  I'll  give  him  more;  and  if  you 
knew  all  you  wouldn't  blame  me.  It  was  he  who  seduced 
me,  who  got  me  to  run  away  from  home,  and  he  deserts 


A  Mummer's  Wife  399 

me  for  other  women.  But  he  sha'n't,  he  sha'n't,  he  sha'u't; 
I'll  kill  him  first ;  yes,  I  will,  and  nobody  shall  stop  me." 

Looking  quite  broken  with  shame,  Dick  listened  to  these 
awful  harangues.  He  had,  in  excuse  for  the  absence  of  his 
wife,  told  Mortimer  and  Motgomery  that  London  did  not 
agree  with  her,  and  that  she  had  to  spend  most  of  her  time 
at  the  seaside.  All  had  condoled  with  him.  They  were 
searching  London  for  a  second  lady,  and  that  ]\Irs.  Len- 
nox was  just  the  person  they  wanted  for  the  part  all  had 
agreed.  What  a  pity,  they  said,  she  was  not  in  town.  At 
the  present  moment  Dick  wished  her  the  other  side  of 
Jordan.  For  all  he  knew,  she  might  remain  screaming  at 
him  the  whole  day,  and  if  Mrs.  Forest  came  back — well,  he 
didn't  know  what  would  happen,  the  whole  game  would 
then  be  up  the  spout,  and  what  a  shame,  for  Montgomery's 
opera,  he  felt  sure,  would  be  a  success.  Perhaps  the  best 
thing  to  do  would  be  to  tell  him  of  the  danger  his  piece  was 
in;  he  might  be  able  to  get  Kate  away.  They  had  always 
been  friends ;  she  might  listen  to  him. 

Such  were  Dick's  reflections  as  he  stood  bashfully  trying 
to  avoid  the  eyes  of  his  ballet-girls.  He  really  didn't  know 
where  to  go.  In  front  of  him  there  was  a  wall  of  people, 
whereon  certain  faces  detached  themselves.  He  saw  Du- 
bois' mumming  mug  widening  with  delight  until  the  grin 
formed  a  semi-circle  round  the  Jew  nose.  Mortimer  looked 
on  with  the  mock  earnestness  of  a  tortured  saint  in  a 
stained  glass  window.  The  girls'  faces,  it  must  be  said, 
all  expressed  pity;  and  a  tall  woman,  who  leaned  a  deli- 
cately gloved  hand  on  a  super's  shoulder,  looked  as  if  she 
were  going  to  melt  with  compassion. 

But  Kate,  although  held  by  Montgomery  and  Miss 
Leslie,  still  continued  to  advance.  The  long  black  hair 
hung  in  disordered  masses;  her  brown  eyes  were  shot  with 
golden  lights;  the  green  tints  in  her  face  became,  in  her 
excessive  pallor,  dirty  and  abominable  in  color,  and  she 
seemed,  indeed,  more  like  a  demon  than  a  woman  as  her 
screams  echoed  through  the  empty  theatre. 

"  By  Jove !  we  ought  to  put  up  Jane  Eyre,"  said  Mor- 
timer. "  If  she  were  to  play  the  mad  woman  like  that, 
we'd  be  sure  to  draw  full  houses." 


400  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  Dubois ;  but  at  that  moment  he  was 
interrupted  by  a  violent  scream,  and  suddenly  disengaging 
herself  from  those  who  held  her,  Kate  rushed  at  Dick. 
With  one  hand  she  grappled  him  by  the  throat,  and  before 
anyone  could  interfere  she  succeeded  in  nearly  tearing  the 
shirt  from  his  back. 

When  at  length  they  were  separated,  she  stood  staring 
and  panting,  every  fibre  of  her  being  strained  with  passion ; 
and  it  was  not  until  someone,  in  a  foolish  attempt  to  pacify 
her,  ventured  to  side  with  her  in  her  denunciations  of  her 
husband,  that  she  again  burst  forth. 

"  How  should  such  as  you  dare  to  say  a  word  against 
him!  I  will  not  hear  him  abused!  No,  I  will  not;  I  say 
he  is  a  good  man.  Yes,  yes !  he  is  a  good  man,  the  best  man 
that  ever  lived  !  "  she  exclaimed,  stamping  her  foot  on  the 
boards,  "  the  best  man  that  ever  lived  I  I  will  not  hear  a 
word  against  him  !  No,  I  will  not !  He's  my  husband ; 
he  married  me !  Yes  he  did ;  I  can  show  my  certificate, 
and  that's  more  than  any  one  of  you  can.  I  know  you,  a 
damned  lot  of  hussies  I  I  know  you ;  I  was  one  of  3'ou  my- 
self. You  think  I  wasn't.  Well,  I  can  prove  it.  You  go 
and  ask  Montgomery  if  I  did  not  play  Serpolette  all 
through  the  country,  and  Clairette  too.  I  should  like  to 
see  any  of  you  do  that,  with  the  exception  of  Lucy,  who  was 
always  a  good  friend  to  me;  but  the  rest  of  you  I  despise 
as  the  dirt  under  my  feet;  so  do  you  think  that  I  would 
permit  you — that  I  came  here  to  listen  to  my  husband  being 
abused,  and  by  such  as  you !  If  he  has  his  faults  he's 
accountable  to  none  but  me." 

Here  she  had  to  pause  for  lack  of  breath ;  and  Dick,  who 
had  been  pursuing  his  shirt-stud,  which  had  rolled  into  the 
footlights,  now  drew  himself  up,  and  in  his  stage-com- 
manding voice  declared  the  rehearsal  to  be  over.  Some  few 
of  the  girls  lingered,  but  they  were  beckoned  away  by 
others,  who  saw  that  the  present  time  was  not  suitable  for 
the  discussion  of  boots,  and  tights,  and  dressing-rooms. 
There  was  then  no  one  left  but  Leslie,  Montgomery,  Dick, 
Kate,  and  Harding,  who,  twisting  his  mustache,  watched 
and  listened  apparently  with  the  greatest  interest. 

"  Oh,  you  have  no  idea  what  a  nice  woman  she  used  to  be, 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  401 

and  is,  were  it  not  for  that  cursed  drink,"  said  Mont- 
gomery, with  the  tears  running  down  his  nose.  "  You  re- 
member her,  Leslie,  don't  you?  Isn't  what  I  say  true? 
I  never  liked  a  woman  so  much  in  my  life." 

"  You  were  a  friend  of  hers  then  ?  "  said  Harding. 

"  I  should  think  I  was." 

"  Then  you  never  were —  Yes,  yes,  I  understand.  A 
little  friendship  flavored  with  love.  Yes,  yes.  Wears 
better,  perhaps,  than  the  genuine  article.  What  do  you 
think,  Leslie?" 

"  Not  bad,"  said  the  prima  donna,  "  for  people  with 
poor  appetites.  A  kind  of  diet  suitable  for  Lent,  I  should 
think." 

"  Ah !  a  title  for  a  short  story,  or  better  still  for  an 
operetta.  What  do  you  think,  Montgomery?  Shall  I  do 
you  a  book  entitled  Lovers  in  Lent,  or  A  Lover's  Lent?  and 
Leslie  will " 

"  No,  I  won't.    None  of  your  forty  days  for  me." 

"  I  can't  understand  how  you  people  can  go  on  talking 
nonsense  with  a  scene  so  terrible  passing  under  your  eyes," 
cried  the  musician,  as  he  pointed  to  Kate  who  was  calling 
after  Dick  as  she  staggered  in  pursuit  of  him  up  the  stairs 
towards  the  stage-door. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  She'll  disgrace  him  in  the  street." 

"  I  can't  help  that.  I  never  interfere  in  a  love  affair ; 
and  this  is  evidently  the  great  passion  of  a  life." 

Casting  an  indignant  glance  at  the  novelist,  Montgomery 
rushed  after  his  friends ;  but  when  ho  arrived  at  the  stage- 
door  he  saw  the  uselessness  of  his  interference. 

In  the  narrow  street,  where  the  sun  sweltered  between  the 
old  houses  that  leaned  and  lolled  upon  the  huge  black 
traversing  beams,  like  aged  women  on  crutches,  amid  the 
stage  carpenters,  the  chorus-girls,  the  idlers  that  a  theatre 
collects,  standing  with  one  foot  in  the  gutter,  where  vege- 
table refuse  of  all  kinds  rotted,  Kate  raved  against  Dick 
in  language  that  was  fearful  to  hear.  Her  beautiful  black 
hair  was  now  hanging  over  her  shoulders  like  a  mane;  some 
one  had  troddoii  on  her  dress  and  nearly  torn  it  from  her 
waist,  and,  in  avid  curiosity,  women  with  dyed  hair  peeped 
36 


402  A  Mummer's  Wife 

out  of  a  suspicious-looking  tobacco  shop.  Over  the  way, 
stuck  under  an  overlianging  window,  like  a  yellow  eye,  was 
an  orange-stall;  the  proprietress  stood  watching,  whilst 
a  crowd  of  vermin-like  children  ran  forward,  delighted  at 
the  prospect  of  seeing  a  woman  beaten.  Close  by,  in  shirt- 
sleeves, the  pot-boy  flung  open  the  public-house  door,  partly 
for  the  purpose  of  attracting  custom,  half  with  the  inten- 
tion of  letting  a  little  air  into  the  bar-room. 

"  Oh,  Kate !  I  beg  of  you  not  to  go  in  there,"  said  Dick ; 
"  you've  had  enough ;  do  come  home !  " 

"  Come  home  !  "  she  shrieked,  "  and  with  you,  you  beast ! 
It  was  you  who  seduced  me,  who  got  me  away  from  my 
husband." 

This  occasioned  a  good  deal  of  amusement  in  the  crowd, 
and  several  voices  asked  for  information. 

"  And  how  did  he  manage  to  do  that,  marm  ? "  cried 
one. 

"  With  a  bottle  of  gin.  What  do  you  think  ?  "  cried  an- 
other. 

There  were  moments  when  Dick  longed  for  the  earth  to 
open ;  but  he  nevertheless  continued  to  try  to  prevent  Kate 
from  entering  the  public-house. 

"  I  will  drink  !  I  will  drink !  I  will  drink  !  And  not 
because  I  like  it,  but  to  spite  you,  because  I  hate  you." 

When  she  came  out  she  appeared  to  be  a  little  quieted, 
and  Dick  tried  very  hard  to  persuade  her  to  get  into  a  cab 
and  drive  home.  But  the  very  sound  of  his  voice,  the  very 
sight  of  him,  seemed  to  excite  her,  and  in  a  few  moments 
she  broke  forth  into  the  usual  harangue.  Several  times 
the  temptation  to  run  away  became  almost  irresistible,  but 
with  a  noble  effort  of  will  he  forced  himself  to  remain  with 
her.  Hoping  to  avoid  some  part  of  the  ridicule  that  was 
being  so  liberally  showered  upon  him,  he  besought  of  her 
to  keep  up  Drury  Lane  and  not  descend  into  the  Strand. 

"  You  don't  want  to  be  seen  with  me ;  I  know,  you'd  pre- 
fer to  walk  there  with  Mrs.  Forest.  You  think  I  shall  dis- 
grace you.     Well,  come  along  then. 

"  Look  at  me  here,  look  at  me  there, 
Criticise  rae  everywhere. 
I  am  so  sweet,"  &c. 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  403 

"  That's  right,  okl  woman,  give  us  a  song.  She  knows 
the  game,"  answered  another. 

Eaising  his  big  hat  from  his  head,  Dick  wiped  his  face, 
and  as  if  divining  his  extreme  despair,  Kate  left  off  sing- 
ing and  dancing,  and  the  procession  proceeded  in  quiet 
past  several  different  wine-shops.  It  was  not  until  they 
came  to  Short's  she  declared  she  was  dying  of  thirst  and 
must  have  a  drink.  Dick  forbade  the  barman  to  serve  her, 
and  brought  upon  himself  the  most  shocking  abuse.  Know- 
ing that  he  would  be  sure  to  meet  a  crowd  of  his  "  pals  " 
at  the  Gayety  bar,  he  used  every  endeavor  to  persuade  her 
to  cross  the  street  and  got  out  of  the  sun. 

"  Don't  bother  me  with  your  sun,"  she  exclaimed  surlily ; 
and  then,  as  if  struck  by  the  meaning  of  the  word,  she  said, 
"  but  it  wasn't  a  son,  it  was  a  daughter ;  don't  you  re- 
member ?  " 

"  Oh,  Kate !  how  can  you  speak  so  ?  " 

"  Speak  so  ?  I  say  it  was  a  daughter,  and  she  died ;  and 
you  said  it  was  my  fault,  as  you  say  everything  is  my  fault, 
you  beast !  you  venomous  beast !  Yes,  she  did  die.  It  was 
a  pity;  I  could  have  loved  her." 

At  this  moment  Dick  felt  a  heavy  hand  clapped  on  his 
shoulder.    Turning  round  he  saw  a  pal  of  his. 

"  What,  Dick,  my  boy !  A  drunken  chorus  lady ;  trying 
to  get  her  home?    Always  up  to  some  charitable  action." 

"  No ;  she's  my  wife." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  old  chap ;  you  know  I  didn't  mean 
it;"  and  the  man  disappeared  into  the  bar-room. 

"  Yes,  I  am  his  wife,"  Kate  shrieked  after  him.  "  I  got 
that  much  right  out  of  him  at  least;  and  I  played  the 
Serpolette  in  the  Cloches. 

"  Look  at  me  here,  look  at  me  there  1 " 

she  sang,  flirting  with  her  abominable  skirt,  amused  by  the 
applause  of  the  roughs.  "  But  I'm  going  to  have  a  drink 
here,"  she  said,  suddenly  breaking  off. 

"  No,  you  can't,  my  good  woman,"  said  the  stout  guard- 
ian at  the  door. 

"  And  why — why  not  ?  " 


404  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  That  don't  matter.  You  go  on^,  or  I'll  have  to  give 
you  in  charge." 

Kate  was  not  yet  so  drunk  that  the  words  "  in  charge  " 
did  not  frighten  her,  and  she  answered  humbly  enough, 
"  I'm  here  wi — th  my  hu — s — hand,  and  as  you  are  so  im — 
impertinent  I  shall  go — go  elsewhere." 

At  the  next  place  they  came  to  Dick  did  not  protest 
against  her  being  served,  but  waited,  confident  of  the  result, 
until  she  had  had  her  four  of  gin,  and  came  reeling  out  into 
his  arms.  Shaking  herself  free  she  stared  at  him,  and 
when  he  was  fully  recognized,  cursed  him  for  his  damned 
interference.  But  it  could  not  last  much  longer.  She 
could  now  scarcely  stand  on  her  legs,  and.  much  to  her 
husband's  relief,  after  staggering  a  few  yards  further,  she 
fell  helplessly  on  the  pavement. 

Calling  a  cab,  he  bundled  her  into  it  and  drove  away. 


CHAPTER    XXVII 


H,  Dick  dear!  what  did  I  do  yesterday?    Do  tell 
me  ?    Was  I  very  violent  ?  " 

"  What  is  the  use  of  going  over  that  again  ? 
It  is  over  now.    We  must  pack  up  our  things  and 
get  out  of  this  house." 

"But  won't  the  landlady  let  us  stay?  Oh,  what  shall  I 
do?  It  is  I  who  am  getting  you  turned  out  of  the  house. 
It  is  my  fault;  I  know  it  is;  it  is  my  fault." 

"  It  doesn't  matter  whose  fault  it  is.  You  had  better 
get  up  and  get  dressed." 

"  But  I  can't — I  can't.  I  feel  so  ill.  Oh^,  my  head !  my 
head !  " 

"  I  dare  say  you  do  feel  ill ;  it  would  he  astonishing  if 
you  didn't." 

"  But  I  never  will  again.  Oh,  that  I  promise  you.  But 
do  tell  me  what  I  did ;  I  don't  quite  remember.  Did  I  not 
go  down  to  the  theatre  ?  " 

"  You  did." 

"  And  I  disgraced  you  ?  Oh,  no !  don't  say  that  I  dis- 
graced you !  And  those  wounds  on  your  face — the  sticking- 
plaster;  I  didn't  do  that;  don't  tell  me  that  I  did  that; 
I  love  3"ou  too  much." 

"  If  you  love  me  you  have  a  queer  way  of  showing  it, 
that's  all  I  can  say." 

"  Oh  3^es !  I  do  love  you  better  than  an^-thing  in  the 
world;  better  than  my  very  life.  Oh,  Dick!  don't  say 
I  don't  love  you ;  don't — don't !  " 

"  I  don't  say  anything,  I  only  ask  you  to  get  up.  We  have 
to  be  out  of  this  by  twelve  o'clock." 

"  Yes,  and  through  my  fault !  through  my  fault.  But 
not  all  my  fault.  You  said  just  now  that  you  did  not  be- 
lieve I  loved  you.  Well,  do  you  think  if  it  were  not  love 
I  would  do  all  I  do?  It  is  love  of  you  that  is  killing  me — 
that  is  driving  me  to  my  ruin.     Yes,  you  needn't  laugh; 


406  A  Mummer's  Wife 

it  is  as  I  say.  It  maddens  me  to  think  that  you  are  looking 
at  other  women.  I  can't  control  myself  when  I  think  you 
are  speaking  to  one.  It  is  that  that  drives  me  to  drink, 
for  you  are,  I  know,  surrounded  by  them  all  day  long ;  and 
you  never  once  think  of  me.  It  is  that  that  is  killing  me; 
it  is  that  that  drives  me  to  drink.  Ah !  yes,  it  is ;  you 
mustn't  smile.  All  I  say  is,  I  assure  you,  the  truth  and  no 
more  than  the  truth ;  and  if  you  could  only  know  how  much 
I  love  you  you  might  pity  me — you  might  forgive.  It  is 
not  all  my  fault ;  it  was  finding  out  about  Mrs.  Forest  that 
drove  me  to  desperation.  I  could  not  stand  it.  My  brain 
was  on  fire,  and  I  had  to  drink." 

"  And  how  did  you  find  out  about  Mrs.  Forest  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  I  was  told  it ;  I  was  told  it.  What  does  it  matter  ? 
My  head  is  splitting.  I  am  the  wretchedest  woman  alive. 
Oh !  don't  tease  me  now  !  I  want  you  to  forgive  me  if  you 
can,  and  I'll  promise  never  to  drink  again." 

"  Well,  whoever  told  you  about  Mrs.  Forest  told  you  a 
lie.  There  is,  I  swear,  nothing  between  her  and  me.  She 
is  a  writer,  a  woman  of  talent,  and  she  wants  me  to  help 
her  to  bring  out  her  pieces,  that  is  all.  And  by  kicking  up 
rows,  and  coming  down  to  the  theatre  drunk,  you  are  only 
taking  the  bread  out  of  our  mouths.  I  am  now  in  a  very 
good  position,  and  shall  hold  it  if  you  don't  contrive — and 
you  are  doing  your  very  best — to  kick  me  out  of  it." 

"  Oh,  Dick !  how  can  you  talk  to  me  so  ?  it  is  unkind  of 
you.  How  can  you  think  that  I  would  do  anything  to  injure 
you?" 

"  Well,  it  is  useless  to  discuss  the  question  any  further. 
We  have  to  get  out  of  this  place  by  twelve  o'clock,  and  it 
is  eleven  now." 

This  conversation  took  place  the  morning  after  the  scene 
at  rehearsal.  Kate  was  in  bed ;  Dick  sat  on  a  chair,  staring 
vaguely  at  a  portmanteau  which  lay  gaping  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor.  He  looked  very  wear}^,  and  often  an  expression 
of  hopelessness  clouded  his  face, 

"  For  goodness'  sake  get  up,  Kate.  There  is  no  use  lying 
there  complaining  of  me,  yourself,  and  everything  else." 

"  Well,  there's  no  use  being  cross  with  me.  I  do  feel  so 
ill,  so  ill.    My  head  seems  as  if  it  were  splitting." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  407 

"  But,  splitting  or  not  splitting,  you'll  have  to  get  up," 
said  Dick,  losing  patience. 

But  the  only  answer  he  got  was  a  moan ;  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  persuade  her  to  leave  the  tossed,  tumbled  bed- 
clothes until  the  landlady  came  upstairs,  and  warned  them 
that  it  was  half-past  eleven,  and  that  they  must  make 
haste.  Then,  staggering  on  to  the  floor,  Kate  sought  for 
her  stockings.  The  progress  of  dressing  was  awful  to  fol- 
low. Dirty,  limp  petticoats  a  week  old  were  tied  anyhow 
round  her  waist.  Garters  could  not  be  found,  and  a  piece 
of  the  lining  of  a  dress  was  used  instead.  The  dress  was 
bundled  on  like  a  bag,  and  the  boots  were  left  unbuttoned. 

"  Well,  I  do  pity  a  man  who  has  a  wife  like  that,"  said 
the  landlady ;  "  and  he  is  so  gentle,  too.  Math  her." 

"  Hussies  like  her  always  has  nice  husbands,"  said  the 
maid-of-all-work.  "  It  isn't  like  my  poor  sister,  who  has 
been  beaten  black  and  blue." 

From  Islington  Dick  took  his  wife  to  Holborn,  to  the 
house  of  a  woman  he  knew,  and  who,  he  hoped,  would  view 
his  wife's  faults  with  a  little  more  indulgence  than  their 
last  landlady.  It  was  most  unpleasant  to  be  turned  out 
at  such  extremely  short  notice,  no  matter  what  the  rights 
and  wrongs  of  the  case  might  be;  and  to  guard  against  a 
repetition  of  the  scene  he  resolved  to  make  a  little  explana- 
tion in  the  parlor  when  Kate  went  up  to  the  sitting-room 
to  take  off  her  bonnet.  As  he  anticipated,  Mrs.  Stevens 
proved  very  docile.  Many  were  the  bland  looks  of  sym- 
pathy, many  were  the  speaking  glances,  which  said  as 
plainly  as  words,  "  Ah !  yes,  I  understand ;  I  have  heard  of 
such  things.  Of  course,  we  must  look  after  her,  and  hope 
for  the  best." 

All  this  was  very  encouraging,  and  Kate  herself  was  pro- 
fuse in  her  promises  of  amendment.  She  was  resolved 
never  to  touch  liquor  again.  Come  what  may,  she  would 
never  again  let  a  drop  pass  her  lips.  The  only  thing  she 
had  to  complain  of  was  that  she  was  a  bit  lonely  sitting  at 
home  all  day.  She  had  no  friends  in  London.  She  did  not 
know  where  to  go  to,  and  at  night  the  time  seemed  very 
long,  indeed,  waiting  up  for  him — he  never  was  home  before 
half-past  twelve.     Would  he  see  and  get  her  an  engage- 


408  A  Mummer's  Wife 

ment  at  some  theatre?  She  didn't  mind  what  she  got  to 
do.  She  only  wanted  something  to  occupy  her  time.  Be- 
sides, she  would  be  earning  her  bit,  and  in  these  hard  times 
every  little  helps. 

Dick  promised  to  do  what  he  could.  He  would  that  very 
day  cut  round  and  see  if  there  was  anything  going;  if  so, 
he  would  let  her  know.  But  now  he  must  positively  be  off. 
He  had  an  appointment,  and  would  miss  it  if  he  stayed  a 
moment  longer.  And  with  a  recommendation  to  her  to 
cultivate  the  landlady's  society,  he  rushed  away. 

Dick  had  said  that  he  would  look  out  for  an  engagement 
for  his  wife,  because  it  was  not  in  his  nature  to  answer 
'^  No  "  to  anything  in  the  world.  Had  he  been  asked  for 
a  star  out  of  the  sky,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  replied, 
"  Certainly,  I'll  see  what  I  can  do  for  you."  His  present 
opinions  concerning  Kate  amounted  to  nothing.  He  merely 
wished  to  keep  her  out  of  the  way.  She  might  reform  or 
imight  not;  on  that  point  he  could  not  speak;  but  to  get 
her  an  engagement  either  at  his  own  or  any  other  theatre 
he  hadn't  the  slightest  intention.  How  did  he  know  what 
row  she  might  not  kick  up,  and  what  she  might  not  say 
about  himself  or  Mrs.  Forest?  Besides,  he  really  hadn't 
the  time.  He  had  now  to  cut  down  to  see  about  the  spangles 
on  the  ballet-girls'  dresses,  and  at  one  o'clock  he  had  an 
appointment  with  Mrs.  Forest  at  the  theatre.  Fortu- 
nately, he  told  the  old  lady  that  he  was  married.  She  had 
nearly  died  of  it,  but  he  was  not  such  a  fool  as  to  have 
risked  the  chance  that  any  one  else  should  tell  her ;  it  was 
better  that  it  should  have  come  from  him.  She  had  borne 
it  better  than  he  expected.  Drunkenness  was  a  famous 
excuse.  No  lady  minded  a  drunken  woman  if  she  were 
kept  out  of  the  way.  That  was  the  principal  thing— keep 
her  out  of  the  way. 

Upon  such  lines  ran  Dick's  thoughts,  as,  with  a  huge 
limp,  he  hurried  away  in  the  direction  of  the  Strand,  leav- 
ing Kate  weak,  helpless,  and  ill  in  the  loneliness  of  their 
new  lodgings.  Her  thoughts  were  now  occupied  solely  with 
the  problem  how  she  was  to  cure  herself  of  her  vice.  But 
as  she  considered  the  question,  the  bitterest  remembrances 
fled  shrieking  over  her  poor  desolated  mind  like  mournful 


A  Mummer's  Wife  409 

winds  across  a  heath.  Among  these,  the  loudest  and  chil- 
liest was  the  memory  of  her  child's  death,  and  as  she  lay 
these  long  summer  afternoons,  weeping  and  sighing  on  her 
bed,  she  could  see  distinctly  defined  on  a  deep  blue  back- 
ground every  feature  of  its  little  pale  face.  It  was  all  her 
fault  that  it  had  died;  it  was  the  fault  of  that  accursed, 
that  thrice  accursed  drink,  that  was  ruining  her,  that  ^as 
killing  her.  Who  had  taught  her  to  like  it  ?  she  could  not 
rememljer;  she  fancied  that  it  had  begun  in  the  dressing- 
rooms.  But  what  did  it  matter  where  it  had  commenced, 
she  would  have  to  cure  herself  of  the  habit  now.  As  the 
resolution  formed  itself  in  her  mind,  the  taste  of  the  spirit 
rose  to  her  lips,  and  shuddering,  she  buried  her  face  in  the 
pillow.  The  warm  burning  flavors  of  brandy  ravished  her 
palate;  the  soft  sweetnesses  of  the  gin  were  as  the  appeal- 
ing seductiveness  of  a  youth's  lips;  and  her  whole  nature 
seemed  to  sink,  to  fall  away  helplessly,  as  she  strove  to  con- 
vince, to  force  it  on  herself  that  she  would  never  know  any 
of  them  again. 

Then,  there  were  hours  when  all  sorts  of  cowardly, 
treacherous  arguments  insinuated  themselves  into  her 
mind,  and  she  suffered  all  the  cruelties  of  indecision.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  devils  in  hell  were  in  league  against  her. 
Things  and  ideas  of  things  grew  strangely  altered,  until 
even  her  child's  death,  which  above  all  else  should  have 
aided  her  to  persevere  in  her  resolutions,  became  one  of 
the  imposing  forces  against  her.  For  why  should  she 
struggle  ?  What  did  it  matter  what  became  of  her  ?  Dick, 
whom  she  loved  better  than  anything  in  the  world,  cared  for 
her  no  longer.  Had  her  baby  lived  there  would  have  been 
something  for  her  to  have  lived  for,  but  it  had  been  taken 
from  her,  as  everything  had  been  taken  from  her,  so 
why  should  she  struggle?  It  was  as  if  a  darkened 
glass  lay  perpetually  before  her  eyes,  wherein  she  was 
forced  not  only  to  read,  but  absolutely  to  see,  every 
scene  of  her  past  life,  and  the  mirror  being  con- 
cave everything  was  distorted.  Even  her  love  of 
Dick  grinned  at  her  with  mephistophelian  grimace. 
What  had  it  begun  in  ?  Meanness.  What  had  it  ended  in  ? 
She  closed  her  ears  to  the  answer,  but  still  the  procession 


410  A   Mumvier's  Wife 

of  marionnettes  went  on,  and  shrill  mechanical  voices  con- 
tinued to  cry  in  her  ears  the  cost  and  the  worth  of  all  she 
had  ever  known.  Everything  was  exhibited  in  cruel  detail, 
in  miserable  separateness.  It  was  as  if  a  beautiful  watch 
in  all  the  wonder  of  its  inviolate  precision,  had  been  sud- 
denly shattered  and  the  hidden  wheels  scattered  under  the 
eyes  of  the  owner  in  meaningless  confusion.  So  did  her 
life  now  seem  disjointed  and  broken.  Often  she  strove  to 
put  some  part  back  into  the  case  from  which  it  had  fallen. 
But  in  vain.  Kate  Ede  was  the  result  of  centuries  of 
inherited  customs  and  forms  of  thought,  and  when  to  this 
be  added  a  touch  of  lightheadedness,  so  ordinary  in  char- 
acter that,  in  the  shop  in  Hanley,  it  had  passed  unper- 
ceived,  it  will  be  understood  how  little  fitted  she  was  to 
effect  the  psychological  and  even  physical  changes  that  her 
new  life  demanded.  She  was  the  woman  that  nature  turns 
out  of  her  workshop  by  the  million,  all  of  whom  are  cap- 
able of  fulfilling  the  duties  of  life,  provided  the  conditions 
in  which  they  are  placed,  that  have  produced  them,  remain 
unaltered.  They  are  like  cheap  Tottenham  Court  Eoad 
furniture,  equal  to  an  ordinary  amount  of  wear  and  tear 
so  long  as  the  original  atmosphere  in  which  they  were 
glued  together  is  preserved;  change  this  and  they  go  to 
pieces.  This  is  precisely  what  had  happened  in  the  case  of 
Kate  Ede.  Not  a  whit  worse  was  she  than  others  of  her 
kind,  but  one  of  those  million  chances  of  which  our  lives 
are  made  had  drifted  Mr.  Lennox  across  her  life.  From  the 
first  moment  he  entered  her  house  the  whole  temperature 
of  her  blood  and  brain  had  been  altered.  But  the  introduc- 
tion of  a  passion  into  a  character  does  not  add  to  it  any 
more  than  a  gust  of  wind  does  to  a  landscape.  Principles 
may  be  overthrown  as  trees  may  be  blown  down.  Morals 
may  be  perverted  as  land-marks  may  be  destroyed,  but  no 
new  element  of  vitality  or  strength  is  gained  in  either  case. 
It  was  so  with  Kate,  but  in  this  instance  a  deadlier  disaster 
than  a  hurricane  had  occurred.  It  was  as  if  a  country  had 
been  gradually  submerged  by  a  great  tide  that  after  satu- 
rating and  washing  over  it  for  years  had  slowly  retired, 
leaving  behind  it  only  wastes  of  foul-smelling  mudbanks 
and  putrid  reaches  of  slimy  and   decaying  matter.     So 


A  Mummer's  Wife  411 

much  Bohemianism  had  done  for  Kate  Lennox.  The 
brackish  ooze  had  penetrated  her  whole  nature;  it  was 
lieavy  with  it  as  a  sponge  that  has  just  been  soaked  in  the  sea 
Vi^ith  brine.  It  was  a  sort  of  mental  dissolution.  Every  senti- 
ment in  her  was  dead  or  sodden  in  drink;  nothing  human 
was  left  except  an  inordinate,  an  exaggerated  love  of  her 
husband,  which  grew  like  a  fungus  out  of  all  this  psychi- 
cal decay. 

And  perhaps  the  most  painful  part  of  all  was  the  vivid 
consciousness  she  possessed  of  her  own  misfortunes,  of  her 
own  failings.  She  knew  very  well  that  the  scenes  of  violent 
jealousies  she  was  constantly  enacting  only  served  to  alien- 
ate her  further  from  the  man  she  loved,  the  man  she  adored; 
very  well  did  she  know  that  the  passion  that  held  her  by  the 
throat  had  disgraced  and  dishonored  her,  and  was  dragging 
her  down  to  death.  It  was  in  this  knowledge  that  the 
bitterest  bitterness  lay.  For  hours  she  would  sit  with  tears 
running  down  her  cheeks  weeping  at  her  misfortunes. 
But  she  was  helpless.  From  afar  she  could  see  the  demon 
watching  her;  often  she  tried  to  fly  from  him.  Steadily 
he  would  steal  nearer  until  she  could  feel  a  red  hand  laid 
upon  her,  and  she  would  put  on  her  bonnet  and  go  out  to 
have  just  "  two  penn'orth."  Then  with  a  wee  drop  more 
in  a  small  bottle  she  would  return  home  to  brood  over  her 
wrongs.  Wrongs  she  undoubtedly  had;  and  tortured  with 
suspicions  of  Mrs.  Forest,  she  used  to  sit  by  her  window 
until  her  brain  positively  reeled  as  it  were  with  the  fumes 
of  suspicion.  She  suspected  everybody  of  love  designs  on 
Dick,  and  in  solitary  sullenness  she  spent  her  time  con- 
structing elaborate  plots  and  plans  out  of  the  most  trivial 
incidents  of  ordinary  life.  In  her  brain,  at  once  dazzled 
by  drink  and  rendered  nervous  by  long  brooding,  the 
smallest  events  became  magnified  and  distorted.  A  word 
heedlessly  spoken  hours,  perhaps  days  ago,  would  suddenly 
start  into  her  memory,  and  then  arguing  upwards  there 
seemed  to  be  no  conclusion  too  preposterous  for  her  to 
arrive  at,  and  working  with  such  means  it  was  not  difficult 
for  her  to  pick  quarrels  with  whatever  friends  she  had. 
Miss  Leslie,  who,  although  she  thought  Kate  much  changed, 
for  old  friendship's  sake  often  came  to  see  her,  had  for 


412  A  Mummer's  Wife 

some  whimsical  fancy  been  insulted  and  turned  out  of  the 
house;  Montgomery  she  would  not  speak  to  because  she 
could  not  convince  herself  that  it  was  not  he  who,  for  the 
furtherance  of  his  own  schemes,  had  introduced  Mrs.  Forest 
to  her  husband.  The  poor  musician  bore  with  her  patiently, 
hoping  always  that  she  would  go  back  to  her  old  self;  but 
as  time  went  on  she  grew  only  more  and  more  intractable 
and  hard  to  bear  with.  The  impression  that  she  was  a  per- 
secuted woman  prevented  her  from  realizing  how  terrible, 
nay,  even  ferocious,  her  temper  had  become.  How  it  and 
drink,  like  twin  sisters,  had  joined  hands,  and  by  their 
mutual  assistance  and  encouragement  the  most  diabolical 
scenes  were  arrived  at.  Yet  between  the  hours  of  passion 
there  were  moments  of  peace  and  sweet  alfection. 

She  had  a  box  in  which  she  kept  her  souvenirs.  They 
were  a  curious  collection.  A  withered  flower,  a  broken 
cigarette-holder,  two  or  three  old  buttons  that  had  fallen 
from  his  clothes,  and  a  lock  of  hair.  But  it  was  under- 
neath these  that  lay  the  prize  of  prizes — a  string  of  false 
pearls.  Never  did  she  see  this  precious  relic  without 
trembling,  and  to  put  it  round  her  neck  for  a  few  minutes 
after  her  lonely  dinner  when  she  was  waiting  for  him  to 
come  home,  charmed  and  softened  her  as  nothing  else  did. 
It  was  a  necklace  she  had  to  wear  in  a  comedietta  they  had 
both  played  in.  The  Lover's  Knot.  Well  did  she  remember 
the  day  they  had  gone  out  to  buy  it  together;  it  had  been 
one  of  the  happiest  in  her  life.  But  it  was  precisely  the 
reaction  caused  by  these  moments  of  tenderness  that  was 
terrible  to  witness.  Gradually  from  looks  of  dreamy  happi- 
ness the  face  would  become  clouded,  and  as  bitter  thoughts 
of  wrongs  done  her  surged  up  in  her  mind,  the  tiny  nostril 
would  dilate  and  the  upper  lip  contract,  until  the  white 
canine  tooth  was  visible.  For  ten  minutes  more  she  would 
remain,  her  hands  grasping  nervously  at  the  arms  of  her 
chair:  by  that  time  the  paroxysm  would  have  obtained 
complete  mastery  over  her,  and  with  her  brain  deaf  and 
cold  as  stone  she  would  walk  across  the  room  to  where 
the  liquor  was  kept,  and  moodily  sipping  the  gin-and-water, 
she  would  form  plans  as  to  how  she  would  attack  him  when 
he  arrived  home.    Hours  and  hours  would  pass  first,  but  at 


A  Mummer's  Wife  413 

last,  through  the  stillness  of  the  night,  she  could  hear  his 
heavy  footsteps.  Then  she  would  prepare  for  hattle.  These 
fights,  which  now  never  numbered  fewer  than  three  a  week, 
alwa3^s  began  in  the  same  manner.  Dick  entered  in  his 
usual  deliberate  elephantine  way ;  Kate  made  no  sign  until 
he  was  seated,  but  assuming  then  a  air  of  indifference,  if 
the  quarrel  was  premeditated,  she  would  ask  him  what  the 
news  was. 

For  many  reasons  this  question  was  a  difficult  one  to 
answer.  To  tell  that  he  had  been  round  to  tea  with  one 
of  the  girls  was  clearly  out  of  the  question ;  to  explain  how 
he  had  wheedled  Mrs.  Forest  into  all  sorts  of  theatrical 
follies  was  likewise  not  to  be  thought  of  as  a  subject  of 
news,  and  as  to  making  conversation  out  of  the  rest  of  the 
day's  duties  he  really  didn't  see  how  he  was  to  do  it.  Miss 
Howard  had  put  out  the  entire  procession  by  not  listening 
to  his  instructions;  Miss  Adair,  although  she  was  playing 
the  Brigand  of  the  Ultramarine  Mountains,  had  threatened 
to  throw  up  her  part  if  she  were  not  allowed  to  wear  her 
diamond  earrings.  The  day  had  gone  in  deciding  such 
questions;  had  passed  in  drilling  those  infernal  girls,  and 
what  interest  could  there  be  in  going  through  it  all  over 
again.  Besides,  he  never  knew  how  or  where  he  might 
betray  himself,  and  Kate  was  so  quick  in  picking  up  the 
slightest  word  and  twisting  it  into  extraordinary  meanings, 
that  he  really  would  prefer  to  talk  about  something  else. 

"  I  can't  understand  how  you  can  have  been  out  all  day 
without  having  heard  something.  It  is  because  you  want 
to  keep  me  shut  up  here  and  not  let  me  know  anything  of 
your  going-on ;  but  I  shall  go  down  to  the  theatre  to-morrow 
and  have  it  out  of  you." 

"  My  dear,  I  assure  you  that  I  was  at  the  rehearsal  all 
day.  The  girls  don't  know  their  music  yet,  and  it  puts  me 
out  in  my  stage  arrangement.  That  is,  I  give  you  my  word, 
all  I  heard  or  saw  to-day.  I  have  nothing  to  conceal  from 
you." 

"  You  are  a  liar,  and  you  know  you  are !  " 

Blows  and  shrieks  followed,  and  so  it  went  on,  often 
until  the  dawn  began  to  break.  Sometimes,  perhaps,  Kate 
would  drink  herself  to  sleep  a  little  earlier,  and,  with  a 


414  A  Mummer's  Wife 

sigh,  Dick  would  put  her  to  hed.  These  quarrels  were  of 
all  sorts  and  kinds :  and  they  differed  widely,  both  in  the 
violence  indulged  in  and  in  their  duration.  There  was 
only  one  thing  that  could  be  said,  which  was,  that  these 
fits  of  uncontrolled  anger  seemed  to  be  passing  the  border- 
line, and  to  be  drifting  into  a  state  of  unbridled  passion, 
of  rage  so  limitless  that  to  account  for  its  unreason  was 
possible  in  no  other  w^ay  but  by  supposing  the  patient  to 
be  insane.  And  in  Kate's  worst  jDaroxysms  there  were  all 
the  symptoms  of  madness,  for  while  she  poured  out  her 
torrents  of  abuse  she  often  foamed  at  the  mouth,  and  she 
approached  him  with  compressed  lips  and  a  virulent  frown. 
Then  she  drew  back  her  lips,  especially  the  corners  of  the 
upper  lip,  and  showed  her  teeth,  aiming  a  vicious  blow  at 
him.  And  not  unfrequently  in  these  combats  did  Dick  run 
close  risks  of  carrying  away  with  him  something  more 
than  a  mere  scratch  on  the  face;  for  being  in  these  times 
entirely  deprived  of  free-will,  there  was  no  object  within 
reach,  no  matter  how  dangerous,  that  she  would  not  catch 
up  and  use  unhesitatingly  as  a  weapon  of  offense.  One 
night  she  narrowly  escaped  committing  manslaughter.  She 
had  been  waiting  hours  alone,  and  it  was  half-past  eleven 
o'clock,  and  Dick  had  not  yet  come  in.  But  long  before 
this  time  she  had  worked  herself  into  a  fury  of  passion, 
and  when  he  entered  he  saw  at  once  what  he  had  to  expect. 
The  only  question  was  whether  it  v;ould  be  a  war  of  words 
or  of  blows,  or  a  mixture  of  both.  Stopping  in  her  walk, 
she  confronted  him  suddenly. 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  out  till  this  time  of  night? 
Amusing  yourself  with  Mrs.  Forest,  I  suppose.  I  shall 
pull  that  woman's  nose  off;  I  know  I  shall." 

"  I  give  you  my  word,  my  dear,  that  I  have  been  the 
whole  evening  with  Montgomery  and  Harding  cutting  the 
piece." 

"  Cutting  the  piece !  And  I  should  like  to  know  why  I'm 
not  in  that  piece.  I  suppose  it  was  you  who  kept  me  out 
of  it.  Oh,  you  beast !  why  did  you  ever  have  anything  to 
do  with  me?  It  is  you  who  are  ruining  me.  Were  it  not 
for  you,  do  you  think  I  should  be  drinking  ?  Not  I — it  was 
all  your  fault." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  415 

Dick  made  no  attoinpt  to  answer  tliose  accusations,  but 
throwing  his  hat  aside,  he  let  himself  fall  into  a  chair.  He 
was  very  tired.  Kate  continued  her  march  up  and  down 
the  room  for  some  moments  in  silence,  but  he  could  see 
from  the  twitching  of  her  face  and  the  swinging  of  her 
arms  that  the  storm  was  bound  to  burst  soon.  Presently 
she  said — 

"  You  go  and  get  me  something  to  drink ;  I've  had  noth- 
ing all  this  evening." 

"  Oh,  Kate  dear !  I  beg  of " 

"  Oh,  you  won't,  won't  you  ?  We'll  see  about  that,"  she 
answered  as  she  looked  around  the  room  for  the  heaviest 
object  she  could  conveniently  throw  at  him. 

Seeing  how  useless  it  would  be  to  attempt  to  contradict 
her  in  her  present  mood,  Dick,  rising  to  his  feet,  said 
hurriedly : 

"  Now  there  is  no  use  in  getting  into  a  passion,  Kate. 
I'll  go,  I'll  go." 

"  You'd  better,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  What  shall  I  get,  then  ?  " 

"  Get  me  half-a-pint  of  gin,  and  be  quick  about  it — I'm 
dying  of  thirst." 

Even  Dick,  accustomed  as  he  was  now  to  these  scenes, 
could  not  repress  a  look  in  which  there  was  at  once  mingled 
pity,  astonishment,  and  fear,  so  absolutely  demoniacal  did 
this  little  woman,  her  dark  complexion  gone  to  a  dull  green- 
ish pallor,  seem  as  she  raved  under  the  watery  light  of  the 
lodging-house  gas.  Involuntarily  he  called  to  mind  the 
mild-eyed  workwoman  he  had  known  in  the  linen-draper's 
shop  in  Hanley,  and  asked  himself  if  it  were  possible  that 
she  and  this  raging  creature,  more  like  a  tiger  in  her  pas- 
sion than  a  human  being,  were  one  and  the  same  person? 
The  question  presented  itself  confusedly,  stupidly,  to  his 
mind,  and  little  attraction  as  psychological  analysis  had 
for  him,  he  could  not  choose  but  wonder.  But  another 
scream  came,  bidding  him  make  haste,  or  it  would  be  worse 
for  him.    He  bent  his  head  and  went  to  fetch  the  gin. 

In  the  meantime  Kate's  fury  leaped,  crackled,  and  burnt 
with  the  fierceness  of  a  house  in  the  throes  of  conflagration, 
and  in  the  smoke-cloud  of  hatred  which  enveloped  her  only 


416  2f  Mummer's  Wife 

fragments  of  ideas  and  sensations  flashed  like  falling 
sparks,  intense  and  as  transient,  through  her  mind.  Up 
and  down  the  room  she  walked  swinging  her  arms,  only 
hesitating,  as  a  fire  will  in  the  vacuum  it  has  created, 
for  some  new  object  whereon  to  wreak  new  fury.  Suddenly 
it  struck  her  that  Dick  had  been  too  long  away — that  he 
was  keeping  her  waiting  on  purpose.  Then,  grinding  her 
teeth,  she  muttered — 

"  Oh,  the  beast !  Would  he — would  he  keep  me  waiting, 
and  since  nine  this  morning  I  have  been  alone." 

In  an  instant  her  resolve  was  taken.  It  came  to  her 
like  the  instinct  of  revenge  to  an  animal,  sullenly,  obtusely. 
No  consideration  was  given,  but,  seizing  a  large  stick,  the 
handle  of  a  brush  that  happened  to  have  been  broken, 
she  stationed  herself  at  the  top  of  the  landing.  A  feverish 
tremor  agitated  her  as  she  waited  in  the  semi-darkness 
of  the  stairs.  At  last,  however,  she  heard  the  door  open, 
and  Dick  came  up  slowly  with  his  usual  heavy  tread.  Mak- 
ing neither  sign  nor  stir,  she  allowed  him  to  get  past  her, 
and  then,  raising  the  brush-handle,  she  landed  him  one 
across  the  back.  The  poor  man  uttered  a  long  cry,  and  the 
crash  of  broken  glass  was  heard. 

"  What  did  you  hit  me  like  that  for?  "  he  cried,  holding 
himself  with  both  hands. 

"  You  beast,  you !  I'll  teach  you  to  keep  me  waiting. 
You  would,  would  you  !  Do  you  want  another  ?  Go  into 
the  sitting-room." 

Dick  obeyed  huml)ly  and  in  silence.  His  only  hope  was 
that  the  landlady  had  not  been  woke  up,  and  he  felt  un- 
easily at  his  pockets,  through  which  he  could  feel  the  gin 
dripping  down  his  legs. 

"  Well,  have  you  brought  the  drink  I  sent  you  for  ? 
Where  is  it  ?  " 

"  Well,"  replied  Dick,  desirous  of  conciliating  at  any 
price,  "  it  was  in  my  pocket,  but  when  you  hit  me  with  that 
stick  you  broke  it." 

"  I  broke  it  ?  "  cried  Kate,  her  eyes  glistening  with  fire. 

"  Yes,  dear,  you  did ;  it  wasn't  my  fault." 

"  Wasn't  your  fault !  Oh,  you  horrid  wretch !  you  put  it 
there  on  purpose  that  I  should  break  it." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  417 

"  Oh !  now  really,  Kate,"  he  cried,  shocked  by  the  illogi- 
calness  of  the  accusation,  "  how  could  I  know  that  you 
were  going  to  hit  me  there  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  and  I  don't  care ;  what's  that  to  me  ? 
But  what  I  am  sure  of  is  that  you  always  want  to  spite  me, 
that  you  hate  me.  that  you  would  wish  to  see  me  dead,  so 
that  you  might  marry  Mrs.  Forest." 

"  I  can't  think  how  you  can  say  such  things.  I  have  often 
told  you  that  Mrs.  Forest  and  I " 

"  Oh !  don't  bother  me.  I  am  not  such  a  fool.  I  know 
she  keeps  you,  and  she  will  have  to  pay  me  a  drink  to- 
night. Go  and  get  another  bottle  of  gin;  and  mind  you 
pay  for  it  with  the  money  she  gave  you  to-day.  Yes,  she 
shall  stand  me  a  drink  to-night !  " 

"  I  give  you  my  word  I  haven't  another  penny-piece  upon 
me ;  it  is  just  the  accident " 

But  Dick  did  not  get  time  to  finish  the  sentence ;  he  was 
interrupted  by  a  heavy  blow  across  the  face,  and  like  a 
panther  that  has  tasted  blood,  she  rushed  at  him  again, 
screaming  all  the  while,  "  Oh !  you  have  no  money.  You 
liar !  you  liar !  So  you  would  make  me  believe  that  she  does 
not  give  you  money,  that  you  have  no  money  of  hers  in 
your  pocket.  You  would  keep  it  all  for  yourself;  but  you 
sha'n't,  no,  you  sha'n't,  for  I  will  tear  it  from  you  and 
throw  it  in  your  face !  Oh,  that  filthy  money !  that  filthy 
mone}' ! " 

The  patience  with  which  he  bore  with  her  was  truly 
angelic.  With  one  stroke  he  might  have  easily  felled  her  to 
the  ground,  but  he  contented  himself  with  merely  warding 
off  the  blows  she  aimed  at  him.  This,  from  his  great  height 
and  strength,  he  was  easily  able  to  do,  and  she  struck  at  him 
with  her  little  womanish  arms  as  she  might  against  a  door. 

"  Take  down  your  hands,"  she  screamed,  exasperated 
to  a  last  degree.  "  You  would  strike  me,  would  you  ?  You 
beast !  I  know  you  would." 

Her  rage  had  now  reached  its  height.  Showing  her 
clenched  teeth,  she  foamed  at  the  mouth,  the  bloodshot  eyes 
protruded  from  their  sockets,  and  her  voice  grew  more  and 
more  harsh  and  discordant.  But  although  the  excited  brain 
gave  strength  to  the  muscles  and  energy  to  the  will,  un- 
27 


418  A  Mummer's  Wife 

armed  she  could  do  nothing  against  Dick,  and  suddenly 
becoming  conscious  of  this  she  rushed  to  the  fireplace  and 
seized  the  poker.  With  one  sweep  of  the  arm  she  cleared 
the  mantel-board,  and  as  she  advanced  round  the  table, 
brandishing  her  weapon,  the  mirror  come  in  for  a  tremend- 
ous blow;  but,  heedless  of  the  shattered  glass,  she  followed 
in  pursuit  of  Dick,  who  continued  to  defend  himself  dex- 
terously with  a  chair.  How  long  this  combat  might  have 
lasted  it  is  difficult  to  say,  had  not  his  attention,  when  Kate 
was  using  the  poker  by  turns  as  spear  and  sabre,  been  in- 
terrupted by  the  view  of  the  landlady's  face  at  the  door; 
and  so  touched  was  he  by  the  woman's  dismay  when  she 
looked  upon  her  broken  furniture,  that  he  forgot  to  guard 
himself  from  the  poker.  Kate,  taking  advantage  of  the 
occasion,  whirled  the  weapon  round  her  head.  He  saw  it 
descending  in  time,  and  half  warded  off  the  blow;  but  it 
came  down  with  awful  force  on  the  forearm,  and  glancing 
off,  inflicted  a  severe  scalp  wound.  The  landlady  screamed 
"  Murder !  "  and  Dick,  seeing  that  matters  had  come  to 
a  crisis,  closed  in  upon  his  wife,  and  undeterred  by  yells 
and  struggles,  pinioned  her  and  forced  her  into  a  chair. 

"  Oh,  dear !  Oh,  dear !  You  are  all  bleeding,  sir,"  cried 
the  landlady :  "  she  has  nearly  killed  you." 

"  Never  mind  me.  But  what  are  we  to  do  ?  I  think  she 
has  gone  mad  this  time." 

"  That's  what  I  think,"  said  the  landlady,  trying  to 
make  herself  heard  above  Kate's  shrieks. 

"  Well,  then,  go  and  fetch  a  doctor,  and  let's  hear  what 
he  has  to  say,"  replied  Dick,  as  he  changed  his  grip  on 
Kate's  arms,  for  in  a  desperate  struggle  she  had  nearly 
succeeded  in  wrenching  herself  free.  The  landlady  re- 
treated precipitatelv  towards  the  door. 

"Well,  will  you"  go?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  I'll  run  at  once." 

"  You  had  better,"  yelled  the  mad  woman  after  her. 
"  I'll  give  it  to  you !    Let  me  go !  let  me  go,  will  you  ?  " 

But  Dick  never  ceased  his  hold  of  her,  and  the  blood 
dripped  upon  her  trickling  in  large  drops  into  her  ears,  and 
down  into  her  neck  and  bosom. 

"  You  are  spitting  on  me,  you  beast !    You  filthy  beast ! 


A  Mummer's  Wife  419 

I'll  pay  you  out  for  this."  Then,  perceiving  that  it  was 
blood,  the  intonation  of  her  voice  changed,  and  in  terror 
she  screamed,  ""  Murder !  murder !  He  is  murdering  me ! 
Is  there  no  one  here  to  save  me." 

The  minutes  seemed  like  eternities.  Dick  felt  himself 
growing  faint,  and  should  he  lose  his  power  over  her  before 
the  doctor  arrived,  the  consequences  might  be  fatal  to  him- 
self, so  he  struggled  with  her  for  very  life. 

At  last  the  door  was  opened,  and  a  man  walked,  tripping 
in  so  doing  over  a  piece  of  the  broken  mirror,  into  the 
room.  It  was  the  doctor,  and  accustomed  as  he  was  to  be- 
tray surprise  at  nothing,  he  could,  nevertheless,  not  repress 
a  look  of  horror  on  catching  sight  of  the  scene  around 
him. 

The  apartment,  to  begin  with,  was  almost  dismantled; 
chairs  lay  l:)ackless  about  the  floor  amid  china  shepherdesses 
and  toreadors;  pictures  were  thrown  over  the  sofa,  and  a 
huge  pile  of  wax  fruit — apples  and  purple  grapes — was 
partially  reflected  in  a  large  piece  of  mirror  that  had  fallen 
across  the  hearthrug. 

"  Come,  help  me  to  hold  her,"  said  Dick,  raising  his 
blood-stained  face. 

The  doctor  with  a  quick  movement  took  possession  of 
Kate's  arms.  "  Give  me  a  sheet  from  the  next  room ;  I'll 
soon  make  her  fast." 

The  threat  of  being  tied  had  its  effect.  Kate  became 
quieter,  and  after  some  trouble  they  succeeded  in  carrying 
her  into  the  next  room  and  laying  her  on  the  bed.  There 
she  rolled  convulsively,  beating  the  pillows  with  her  arms. 
The  landlady  then  stationed  herself  at  the  door  to  give 
notice  of  any  further  manifestation  of  fury,  whilst  Dick 
explained  the  circumstances  of  the  case  to  the  doctor. 

After  a  short  consultation,  ho  agreed  to  sign  an  order  de- 
claring that  in  his  opinion  Mrs.  Lennox  was  a  dangerous 
lunatic. 

"  Will  that  be  enough,"  said  Dick,  "  to  place  her  in  an 
asylum  ?  " 

"  i^o.you  will  have  to  get  the  opinion  of  another  doctor." 

The  possibility  of  being  able  to  get  rid  of  his  wife  was  to 
him  like  the  sudden  dawning  of  a  new  life,  and  dazzled 


430  A  Mummer's  Wife 

with  joy  and  delight  keener  than  anything  he  had  known 
before,  Dick  rushed  off.  bleeding,  haggard,  wild-looking  as 
he  was,  to  seek  for  another  doctor  who  would  concur  in  the 
judgment  of  the  first.  He  could  have  knelt  down  and 
kissed  that  man's  hand.  Was  it  possible,  he  asked  himself, 
to  see  Kate  in  her  j^resent  position,  and  say  conscientiously 
that  she  was  a  person  who  could  be  safely  trusted  with  her 
liberty  ?  He  thought  not,  and  to  his  great  joy  this  view  was 
taken  by  the  second  authority  consulted,  and  having  placed 
his  wife  under  lock  and  key,  Dick  lay  down  to  rest  a  happier 
man  than  he  had  been  for  many  a  day.  The  principal 
question  in  his  mind  was,  of  course,  as  to  the  means  he 
should  adopt  to  place  her  in  the  asylum.  Force  was  not 
to  be  thought  of ;  persuasion  was  in  the  first  instance  to  be 
tried.  So  far  he  was  decided,  but  as  to  the  arguments  he 
should  advance  to  induce  her  to  give  up  her  liberty  he  knew 
nothing,  nor  did  he  attempt  to  formulate  any  scheme,  and 
when  he  entered  the  sitting-room  next  morning  he  relied 
more  on  the  hope  of  finding  her  rejjentant,  and  appealing 
to  and  working  on  her  feelings  of  remorse  than  anything 
else.  "  The  whole  thing,"  as  he  put  it,  "  depended  upon  the 
humor  he  should  find  her  in." 

In  a  dreadful  state  of  deshabille,  with  stains  of  blood 
still  upon  her  face,  Kate  sat  weeping  bitterly  as  a  Mag- 
dalen, amid  the  broken  furniture. 

"  Oh,  Dick  !  Dick  !  What  have  I  done  ?  What  have  I 
done  ?  Can  you  ever  forgive  me  ?  "  she  said,  throwing  her- 
self at  his  feet.  "  I  am  so  sorry.  I  am  so  miserable.  But 
it  was  not  I  who  did  all  this.  Tell  me,  Dick,  tell  me,  for  I 
do  not  remember,  it  is  all  confused  in  my  head — was  I  very 
violent  ?  " 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  said  Dick,  casting  an  involuntary 
glance  round  the  room  as  he  searched  for  a  chair  that 
would  be  safe  for  him  to  sit  on,  "  there  is  no  use  in 
going  over  that  subject  again.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  you 
cannot  do  without  the  drink." 

"  I  know  it !  I  know  it !  but  I  cannot  help  it.  To  sit 
here  all  those  hours  alone,  and  know  that  you  are  with  other 
women — it  is  that  that  maddens  me.  Oh,  why  do  you  do 
it?" 


A  Mummer's  Wife  421 

''^  Don't  let  us  talk  about  that,  or  you  will  excite  your- 
self again." 

"  Oh,  no,  I  sha'n't.    I  feel  too  ill  and  too  wretched." 

To  this  Dick  made  no  answer.  He  sat  with  his  hands  on 
his  fat  knees  and  the  big  felt  crushed  over  his  eyes.  This 
was  purposel}^  arranged  so,  for  the  production  of  his 
wounds  was  to  be  the  "  big  effect,"  and  he  fervidly  hoped 
they  would  decide  the  situation. 

"  But  tell  me,  Dick — Dick,  tell  me — ^was  I  very  bad  ? 
I  don't  know  what  came  over  me,  but  I  think  I  must  have 
felt  what  the  mad  feel.  I  could  not — no,  I  could  not — re- 
strain myself.  I  really  couldn't.  But  tell  me — tell  me, 
Dick — did  I  strike  you?  I  remember  something — yes,  I 
remember  that  the  doctor  came,  at  least  I  think  it  was  a 
doctor,  but  it  is  all  confused  in  my  head.  Tell  me,  what 
did  he  say  ?  " 

"  He  said  that  if  you  did  not  take  care  something  very 
serious  would  happen." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know,"  sobbed  Kate ;  "I  am  making  your 
life  miserable,  yet  I  love  you  better  than  anything  in  the 
world.  It  is  very  horrible,  very  terrible,  and  yet  I  can't 
help  myself." 

"  I  know,  that's  just  what  the  doctor  said ;"  and  after 
pausing  so  as  to  give  his  words  time  to  strike  well  home 
he  took  off  his  hat  and  showed  the  linen  bandages. 

The  effect  was  magical.  With  eyes  staring  with  horror 
Kate  rose  to  her  feet. 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  oh  !  "  she  exclaimed,  pressing  her  hands  to  her 
face;  then,  withdrawing  them,  she  looked  round  the  room 
anxiously,  wildly,  seeking  unconsciously  for  tlie  weapon 
she  had  used.  But  the  very  action  forced  her  to  realize 
the  truth,  and  in  a  lightning  instant  she  saw  that  she  had 
attempted  her  husband's  life. 

"  Dick  !  Dick  !  "  she  screamed,  "  is  it  possible  that  it  was 
I  who  did  that  ?  Ah  !  yes,  I  remember  I  took  the — "  She 
could  not  finish  the  sentence  for  shame. 

"  Well,  dear,"  said  Dick,  as  cautiously  as  a  man  who  was 
playing  dice  with  his  life  at  stake,  "  it  was  not  your  fault." 

Not  understanding  she  looked  at  him,  and  repeated  the 
M'ords  after  him,  "  Not  my  fault  ?  " 


422  A  Mummer's  Wife 

He  felt  that  the  slightest  imprudence  of  phrase  might 
ruin  him ;  and,  thinking  that  he  had  better  be  confidential, 
he  said,  "  Well  dear,  it  was  not  your  fault.  You  hadn't 
the  least  idea  of  what  you  were  doing — at  least  the  doctor 
said  so ;  but  he  also  said  that  you  would  get  well  if  you  took 
care  of  yourself." 

A  gray  cloud  passed  over  Kate's  face,  and  she  asked 
calmly,  but  with  intense  emotion,  "  Dick,  tell  me — I  be- 
seech of  you  tell  me  truly  what  he  said.  Did  he  say  that  I 
was  mad  ?  " 

Without  answering  this  too  direct  question,  Dick  told  in 
brief  phrases  how  she  had  commenced  by  breaking  the  fur- 
niture, and  then  how  she  had  caught  up  the  poker,  swearing 
she  would  kill  him ;  and  resolved  to  bend  her  to  his  wishes, 
he  insisted  that  it  was  only  by  the  merest  chance  he  had 
escaped  with  his  life.  The  conversation  was  interrupted 
by  sobs  and  protestations,  and  Kate  allowed  her  arms  to 
fall  across  Dick's  knees  in  picturesque  movements  full  of 
a  grand  despair. 

With  a  thousand  kind  words  he  soothed,  he  consoled; 
over  and  over  again  he  hinted  that  it  was  not  her  fault, 
venturing  even  to  insinuate  that  she  was  not  responsible 
for  her  actions. 

"  Then  I  am  really  downright  mad  ?  "  said  Kate,  rais- 
ing her  tear-stained  face  from  her  arms.  "  Did  the  doctor 
say  so  ?  " 

This  was  by  far  too  direct  a  question  for  Dick  to  answer, 
and  he  preferred  to  equivocate. 

"  Well,  my  dear — mad  ?  He  didn't  say  that  you  were 
always  mad,  but  he  said  you  were  liable  to  fits,  and  that  if 
you  didn't  take  care  those  fits  would  grow  upon  you,  and 
you  would  become " 

Then  he  hesitated  as  he  always  did  before  a  direct  state- 
ment. 

"  But  what  did  he  say  I  must  do  to  get  well  ?  " 

"  He  advised,  he  suggested,  that  you  should  go  and  live 
in  some  place  where  you  would  not  be  able  to  get  hold  of 
any  liquor;  some  place,  you  know,  where  you  would  be 
looked  after." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  423 

"  You  mean  a  madhouse.  Oh^  Dick !  you  wouldn't  put 
me  in  a  madhouse,  would  you  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  my  dear,  I  would  not  put  you  anywhere 
where  you  did  not  like  to  go;  but  he  said  nothing  about 
a  madhouse." 

"  What  did  he  say,  then  ?  " 

"  He  spoke  merely  of  one  of  those  houses  which  are  under 
medical  supervision,  and  where  any  one  can  go  and  live 
for  a  time;  a  kind  of  hospital,  you  know." 

The  argument  was  continued  for  an  hour  or  more. 
Weeping,  Kate  protested  against  being  locked  up  as  a  mad 
woman ;  while  he,  conscious  of  the  strong  hold  he  had  over 
her,  reminded  her  in  a  thousand  ways  of  the  terrible  danger 
she  ran  of  awakening  one  morning  to  find  herself  a  mur- 
deress. Yet  it  is  difficult,  no  matter  how  irrefutable  the 
reasons  advanced  may  be,  to  persuade  anyone  to  voluntarily 
enter  a  lunatic  asylum;  and  it  was  not  until  Dick  on  one 
side  skilfully  threatened  her  with  separation,  and  tempted 
her  on  the  other  with  the  hope  of  being  cured  of  her  vice 
and  living  with  him  happily  ever  afterwards,  that  she  con- 
sented to  enter  Dr.  — 's  private  asylum,  Craven  street, 
Bloomsbur}^  But  even  then  the  battle  was  not  won,  for 
when  he  suggested  going  off  there  at  once,  he  very  nearly 
brought  another  fit  of  passion  down  on  his  head.  It  was 
only  the  extreme  lassitude  and  debility  produced  from  the 
excesses  of  last  night  that  saved  him.  She  was  now  as  help- 
less, as  limp,  as  a  wet  chicken. 

"  Oh,  Dick,  dear !  if  you  only  knew  how  I  love  you !  I 
would  give  my  last  drop  of  blood  to  save  you  from  harm." 

"I  know  you  would,  dear;  it  is  the  fault  of  that  con- 
founded drink,"  he  answered,  his  heart  tense  with  the  hope 
of  being  rid  of  her.  Then  the  packing  began.  Kate,  sit- 
ting disconsolate  on  the  sofa,  watched  Dick  folding  up  her 
dresses  and  petticoats.  It  seemed  to  her  that  everything  had 
ended,  and  wearily  she  collected  the  pearls  which  had  been 
scattered,  in  last  night's  skirmishing,  from  their  string. 
But  some  had  been  trodden  on,  others  were  lost.  Only 
about  half  the  original  number  could  be  found,  and  this 
accident  appeared  to  her  to  be  infinitely  sad,  and  to  foretell 
still  further  unhappiness. 


424  A  Mummer's  Wife 

The  drive  to  the  asylum  in  the  cab  was  also  very  piteous. 
Shaken  with  nervousness  and  lassitude,  Kate  cried  and 
wrung  her  hands.  Dick  sat  next  her,  huge,  kind,  and  in- 
different, even  as  the  world  itself. 

But  you  will  come  and  see  me?  You  promise  me  that 
you  will  come — that  you  will  come  very  often  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear,  I'll  come  two  or  three  times  a  week ;  but  I 
hope  that  you'll  be  well  soon — very  soon." 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

HE  hope  Dick  thus  kindly  expressed,  that  his  wife 
would  soon  be  well  enough  to  return  to  him,  was, 
of  course,  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  lie — a  simple 
and  unadulterated  untruth.  Fondly  he  looked 
upon  the  house  in  Bloomsbury  as  the  panacea  of  all  his 
woes,  and  fervidly  he  prayed  that  she  would  never  cross 
its  doors  again.  But  in  this  he  was  quickly  and  cruelly 
disappointed.  Before  two  days  were  over — two  days  that 
appeared  to  him  heaven,  so  blissful  was  their  calm — he 
received  a  letter  from  the  asylum,  saying  that  Mrs.  Len- 
nox was  not  in  the  least  insane,  and  would  have  to  be  dis- 
charged. The  letter  slipped  from  him,  his  head  sank  on 
his  arm,  and  he  remained  prostrate,  stunned,  dizzy,  like 
one  who  has  received  a  violent  blow  on  the  head.  Very 
soon  after,  Kate  entered  the  room.  He  raised  his  head  and 
looked  at  her.  Interpreting  that  look  at  once,  she  said, 
and  in  an  intonation  of  voice  that  was  full  of  supreme 
sorrow — 

"  Well,  Dick,  I  see  you  are  very  sorry  to  have  me  back 
again." 

The  simple  words  took  an  awful  importance  in  the  situ- 
ation. It  was  like  the  cry  of  the  chorus  in  the  Greek  tragedy 
against  the  mystery  and  inflexibility  of  fate. 

Our  lives  run  in  grooves ;  Ave  get  into  one  and  we  follow 
it  out  to  the  end.  And  the  man  answered  just  what  might 
have  been  expected  he  would  have  answered. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  am,  dear ;  if  you  would  not  give 
way  to  those  fits  of  jealousy  we  might  get  on  all  right." 

For  the  word  drunkenness,  jealousy  was  as  usual  sub- 
situted.  And  why  ?  Because  he  could  not  bring  himself  to 
say  anything  that  would  hurt  lier  feelings. 

Kate  threw  herself  on  her  knees;  she  took  his  hand  in 
hers,  she  leaned  her  face  against  his,  and  in  brief,  passionate 
phrases  she  promised  everything  she  could  for  the  moment 


426  A  Mummer's  Wife 

think  of.  She  vowed  above  all  that  she  never  would  touch 
a  drop  of  gin  again.  Oh !  it  was  that  that  was  the  ruin  of 
her.  Had  it  not  been  for  that,  they  might  be  happy  now  as 
they  were  long  ago  at  Blackpool,  and  at  Manchester  where 
their  child  was  born.  Oh,  that  poor  child !  Had  it  lived, 
had  it  only  lived,  she  would  not  be  what  she  was  now. 
Yes,  yes,  it  was  better  to  admit  the  truth ;  she  had  neglected 
it,  and  it  was  drink  and  those  love  stories  that  had  made 
her  a  bad  mother,  as  she  was  now  a  bad  wife.  She  was  not 
afraid,  although  it  nearly  broke  her  heart  to  confess  these 
things ;  but,  as  the  proverb  said,  "  Better  late  than  never," 
and  she  was  determined  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf.  Never 
again  would  she  touch  a  drop  of  gin.  Ah !  that  was  the 
principal  thing.  He  did  not  believe  her?  Well,  she  did 
not  blame  him,  for  she  had  liroken  her  promise  so  many 
times;  but  this  time  was  not  like  the  other  times,  and  he 
must — it  would  be  cruel  of  him  not  to  believe  her.  Yes, 
yes,  she  had  been  fearfully  wicked  from  the  very  first ;  but 
there  was  no  use  talking  of  that,  and  she  was  determined 
to  prove  herself  a  good  wife,  at  least  to  one  man.  The  other 
she  didn't  love,  but  Dick  she  did.  Yes,  with  a  love  that  was 
more  than  anything  she  could  explain. 

Dick's  face  expressed  that  on  this  point  he  had  no  doubt 
whatever.  Indeed,  it  was  the  truth  of  her  statement  that 
he  seemed  to  deplore,  and  reverting  to  his  original  idea 
he  said : — 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  but  those  jealous  fits  are  terrible.  You 
know  I  must  look  after  my  business,  and  by  going  down  to 
the  theatre  and  kicking  up  a  row  with  me  about  Mrs.  Forest 
you  are  only  taking  the  bread  out  of  my  mouth." 

"  I  know,  Dick,  I  know,"  cried  Kate  passionately ;  "  but 
I  promise  you  that  I  never  will  again.  You  may  go  where 
you  please,  and  do  what  you  please,  I  will  never  say  a  word 
to  you  again ;  T  know  it  is  no  use." 

In  his  heart  of  hearts  Dick  did  not  believe  vshe  would 
ever  again  be  able  to  control  lier  temper,  but  knowing  well 
that  the  expression  of  such  an  opinion  would  only  excite 
her,  he,  although  unable  to  persuade  himself  that  there 
was  much  hope  of  peace  for  him  in  the  future,  as  a  weary 
packman  his  pack,  as  a  captured  convict  his  chains,  took  up 


A  Mummers  Wife  427 

the  now  almost  unbearable  fetters  of  a  drunken  married 
life,  resigned  to  trudge  a  little  farther  along  the  road  that 
extended  its  apparently  endless  and  horrible  length  before 
him. 

Nevertheless,  for  many  days  Kate  tried  hard  to  keep 
her  promises;  for  more  than  a  fortnight  she  was  as  nice 
and  as  quiet  as  a  man  might  wish  a  woman  to  be,  until 
even  sceptical  Dick  began  to  lull  himself  with  false  hopes 
of  reformation.  One  evening,  however,  he  noticed  that  she 
looked  more  sullen  than  usual,  that  her  eyes  dropped  as  if 
— the  thought  struck  him  hard — she  had  been  drinking. 
When  once  women  give  way  there  is  no  stopping  them; 
and  then  followed  a  whole  month  of  a  life  so  wild  that  it 
can  only  be  compared  to  a  lurid  and  fearful  storm  of  wind 
and  lightning.  Not  a  single  day  passed  without  some  scene 
of  violence.  On  one  occasion  she  ran  at  him  with  a  knife, 
and  he  had  only  just  time  to  ward  off  the  blow.  The  house 
rang  with  shrieks  and  cries  of  all  sorts.  They  were  driven 
from  one  lodging  house  to  another.  Everything  was 
pawned — trousers,  dresses,  hats,  boots,  shoes,  her  own  as 
well  as  his.  It  was  at  once  comic  and  pitiful  to  see  Dick, 
with  one  of  the  tails  of  his  coat  lost  in  a  scrimmage,  talk- 
ing at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  the  dispassionate 
policeman,  whilst  from  the  top  windows  the  high  treble 
voice  of  a  woman  disturbed  the  sullen  tranquillity  of  the 
London  night.  There  were  times,  of  course,  between  these 
paroxysms  of  fury  when  she  grew  repentant  and  begged  of 
her  husband  to  forgive  her.  But  there  was  no  help  for  her 
now.  The  latent  germ  of  hysteria  that  the  life  of  quietude 
and  work  that  she  had  led  with  Ralph  Ede  had  kept  in 
check,  the  life  of  excitement  and  dissipation  she  had  led 
with  Dick  Lennox  had  developed,  until  the  disease  had 
culminated  in  drink,  and  recovery  seemed  hopeless.  Lat- 
terly, too,  great  physical  changes  had  been  wrought  in  her. 
Her  plump,  pigeon-like  figure  had  grown  thin  and  almost 
angular.  She  suffered  at  times  terribly  from  want  of  rest, 
and  towards  morning  would  awake  screaming  from  the 
most  terrible  nightmares.  Food  she  could  not  touch  ex- 
cept after  drink,  and  her  nervous  system  was  terribly  de- 
ranged; it  was  as  if  a  quantity  of  bell-wires  had  got  so 


438  A  Mummer's  Wife 

entangled  and  twisted  that  to  touch  them  was  impossible 
without  awakening  a  jangle,  and  always  the  peal  came  from 
where  you  least  expected  it.  But  amid  the  ever-increasing 
number  of  exciting  influences,  Dick  remained  the  most 
ruinous ;  now  even  to  see  him  was  sufficient  to  set  her  trem- 
bling with  passion, or, to  speak  more  correctly,  acute  nervous 
excitement.  The  very  love  she  bore  for  the  man  was,  it 
seemed,  the  cause  of  the  disease — as  it  were,  the  battery 
whence  all  these  terribly  hysterical  storms  proceeded.  In 
her  sober  moments,  or  rather  in  her  calm  moments — for 
now  passion  and  drunkenness  had  become  so  inextricably 
mixed  that  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish  where  one 
began  and  the  other  ended — no  one  deplored  more  than 
she  did  the  utter  ungovernableness  of  her  temper;  but  of 
resistance  to  it  she  could  offer  no  more  than  a  leaf  does 
to  the  blast  that  bears  it  away.  And  yet  Dick  continued 
with  her — continued  to  allow  himself  to  be  beaten,  scratched, 
torn  to  pieces  almost  as  he  would  be  by  a  wild  beast.  Hu- 
man nature  can  habituate  itself  even  to  pain,  and  it  was  so 
with  him.  He  knew  that  his  present  life  was  as  a  N"es- 
sus  shirt  on  his  back,  and  yet  he  couldn't  make  up  his 
mind  to  have  done  with  it.  In  the  first  place,  he  pitied 
his  wife;  in  the  second,  he  did  not  know  how  to  leave 
her;  and  it  was  not  until  after  another  row  with  Kate 
for  having  been  down  to  the  theatre  that  he  sum- 
moned up  courage  to  walk  out  of  the  house  with  a  fixed 
determination  never  again  to  return.  Kate  at  the  time 
was  too  tipsy  to  pay  much  attention  to  the  announcement 
he  made  to  her  as  he  left  the  room.  Besides,  "  Wolf ! " 
had  been  cried  so  often  that  it  had  now  lost  its  terror  in 
her  ears,  and  it  was  not  until  next  day  that  she  began  to 
experience  any  very  certain  fear  that  Dick  and  she  had 
at  last  parted  forever.  But  when,  with  a  clammy,  thirsty 
mouth,  she  sat  rocking  herself  wearily,  and  the  long  idle- 
ness of  the  morning  hours  became  haunted  with  irritating 
remembrances  of  her  shameful  conduct,  of  the  cruel  and 
abominable  life  she  led  the  man  she  loved,  that  the  black 
gulf  of  eternal  separation  became,  as  it  were,  etched  upon 
her  mind;  and  she  heard  the  cold  depths  reverberating 
with   vain   words   and   foolish   prayers.     Then   her   thin 


A  Mummer's  Wife  429 

hands  trembled  on  her  black  dress,  and  waves  of  shivering 
passed  over  her.  Involuntarily  she  thought  that  a  little 
brandy  might  give  her  strength,  and  as  soon  hated  herself 
for  the  thought.  It  was  brandy  that  had  brought  her  to 
this.  She  would  never  touch  it  again.  But  Dick  had  not 
left  her  forever ;  he  would  come  back  to  her ;  she  could  not 
live  without  him.  It  was  terrible !  She  would  go  to  him, 
and  on  her  knees  beg  his  pardon  for  all  she  had  done.  He 
would  forgive  her;  he  must  forgive  her.  Such  were  the 
fugitive  thoughts  that  flashed  through  Kate's  mind  as  she 
hurried  to  and  fro,  seeking  for  her  bonnet  and  shawl. 
She  would  go  down  to  the  theatre  and  find  him  ;  there  she 
would  be  sure  to  hear  news  of  him,  she  said,  as  she  strove 
to  brush  away  the  mist  that  obscured  her  eyes.  She  could 
see  nothing;  things  seemed  to  change  their  places,  and  she 
was  forced  to  cling  to  any  piece  of  furniture  within  reach, 
so  terrible  were  the  palpitations  of  her  heart.  There  at 
last,  however,  subsided,  and  by  walking  very  slowly  she 
contrived  to  reach  the  stage-door  of  the  Opera  Comique, 
feeling  very  weak  and  ill. 

"  Is  Mr.  Lennox  in  ?  "  she  asked,  at  the  same  time  try- 
ing to  look  conciliatingly  at  the  hard-faced  hall-keeper. 

"  No,  ma'am,  he  ain't,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Who  attended  the  rehearsal  to-day,  then  ?  " 

"  There  was  no  rehearsal  to-day,  ma'am — leastways,  Mr. 
Lennox  dismissed  the  rehearsal  at  half-past  twelve." 

"And  why?" 

"  Ah  !  that  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"  Could  you  tell  me  where  Mr.  Lennox  would  be  likely 
to  be  found  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  could  not,  ma'am ;  I  believe  he's  gone  into 
the  country." 

"  Gone  into  the  country !  "  echoed  Kate. 

"  But  may  I  ask,  ma'am,  if  you  be  Mrs.  Lennox?  because 
if  you  be,  Mr.  Lennox  left  a  letter  to  be  given  to  you  in 
case  you  called." 

Her  eyes  brightened  at  the  idea  of  a  letter.  To  know  the 
worst  would  be  better  than  a  horrible  uncertainty,  and  she 
said  eagerly — 


430  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Yes.  T  am  Mrs.  Lennox ;  give  me  tlie  letter." 
The  hall-keeper  handed  it  to  her,  and  she  walked  out  of 
the  narrow  passage  into  the  street,  so  as  to  be  free  from 
observation.     With  anxious  fingers  she  tore  open  the  ill- 
shapen,  commercial-looking  enevelope,  and  read, 

"My  Dear  Kate, — 

"  It  must  be  now  as  elear  to  you  as  it  is  to  me  that  it  is  quite  im- 
possible for  us  to  go  on  Hving  together.  There  is  no  use  in  our  again 
discussing  tlie  whys  and  tlie  wherefores  ;  we  had  much  better  accept 
the  facts  of  the  case  in  silence,  and  mutually  save  each  other  the  pain 
of  trying  to  alter  what  cannot  be  altered. 

"  1  have  arranged  to  allow  you  two  pounds  a  week.  This  sum  will 
be  paid  to  you  every  Saturday,  by  applying  to  Messrs.  Jaeksou  &  Co., 
Solicitors,  Arundel  Street,  Strand. 

"  Yours  very  affectionately, 

"  Richard  Lennox." 


Mechanically  Kate  repeated  the  last  words,  and  she 
walked  gloomily  through  tlie  glare  of  the  day.  A  terrible 
sense  of  loneliness,  of  desolation,  was  created  in  her  heart. 
For  her  the  world  seemed  to  have  ended,  and  she  saw 
the  streets  and  passers-by  with  the  same  vague,  irrespon- 
sible gaze  as  a  solitary  figure  would  the  universal  ruin 
caused  by  an  earthquake.  Enwrapped  in  a  winding-sheet 
of  sorrow,  she  seemed  to  be  walking  alone  in  a  dark  dream. 
She  had  no  friends,  no  occupation,  no  interest  of  any  kind 
in  life.  Everything  had  slipped  from  her,  and  she  shivered 
with  a  sense  of  nakedness,  of  moral  destitution.  Nothing 
was  left  to  her,  and  yet  she  felt,  she  lived,  she  was  con- 
scious. Oh  yes,  horribly  conscious.  And  that  was  the 
worst ;  and  she  asked  herself  why  she  could  not  pass  out 
of  sight,  out  of  hearing  and  feeling  of  all  the  crying  misery 
with  which  she  was  surrounded. 

For  the  moment  hope  had  deserted  her.  She  did  not 
think  of  being  reconciled  to  her  husband,  but  abandoned 
herself  feebly  to  the  presentiment  that  she  would  never 
see  him  again.  No  thought  was  figurate  or  determinate, 
and  in  a  state  of  emotive  somnambulism  she  walked 
through  the  crowds.  Suddenly  she  was  startled  from  her 
dreams  by  hearing  a  voice  calling  after  her,  "  Kate !  Kate ! 
— Mrs.  Lennox !  " 


A  Mummer's  Wife  431 

It  was  Montgomery. 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  have  met  you — so  glad,  indeed,  for  we 
have  not  seen  much  of  each  other.  1  don't  know  how  it 
was,  but  somehow  it  seemed  to  me  that  Dick  did  not  want 
me  to  go  and  see  you.  I  never  could  make  out  why,  for  he 
couldn't  have  been  jealous  of  me,"  he  added  a  little  bitterly. 
"  But  perhaps  you  have  not  heard  that  it  is  all  up  as  re- 
gards my  piece  at  the  Opera  Comique,"  he  continued,  not 
noticing  Kate's  dejection  in  his  excitement. 

"  No,  I  haven't  heard,"  she  answered  mechanically. 

"  It  doesn't  matter  much,  though,  for  I  have  just  been 
down  to  the  Gayety,  and  pretty  well  settled  that  it  is  to  be 
done  in  Manchester,  at  the  Prince's ;  so  you  see  I  don't  let 
the  grass  grow  under  my  feet,  for  my  row  with  Mrs.  Forest 
only  occurred  this  morning.  But  what's  the  matter,  Kate  ? 
what  has  happened?" 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing.  Tell  me  about  Mrs.  Forest 
first ;  I  want  to  know." 

"  Well,  it  is  the  funniest  thing  you  ever  heard  in  your 
life :  but  you  won't  tell  Dick,  because  he  forbade  me  ever  to 
speak  to  you  about  Mrs.  Forest — not  that  there  is  any- 
thing but  business  between  them ;  that  I  swear  to  you.  But 
do  tell  me,  Kate,  what  is  the  matter?  I  never  saw  you 
look  so  sad  in  my  life.     Have  you  had  any  bad  news  ?  " 

"  No,  no.  Tell  me  about  Mrs.  Forest  and  your  piece ; 
I  want  to  hear,"  she  exclaimed  excitedly. 

"  Well,  this  is  it,"  said  Montgomery,  who  saw  in  a  glance 
that  she  was  not  to  be  contradicted,  and  that  he  had  better 
get  on  with  his  story.  "In  the  first  place,  you  know  that 
the  old  creature  has  gone  in  for  writing  librettos  herself, 
and  has  finished  one  about  Buddhism.  You  never  saw  such 
a  thing  in  your  life ;  the  opening  chorus  is  fifty  lines  long, 
and  she  won't  cut  one;  but  I'll  tell  you  about  that  after. 
Well,  I  was  to  get  one  hundred  for  setting  this  blessed 
production  to  music,  and  it  was  to  follow  my  own  piece, 
which  was  in  rehearsal.  Well,  like  a  great  fool,  I  was 
explaining  to  Dubois  the  bosh  I  was  writing  by  the  yard 
for  this  infernal  opera  of  hers.  I  couldn't  help  it;  she 
wouldn't  take  advice  on  any  point.  She  has  written  the 
song  of  the  Sun-god  in  hexameters.     I  don't  know  what 


432  A   Mummer's  Wife 

hexameters  are,  but  I  would  as  soon  set  Bradshaw — leav- 
ing St.  Pancras  nine  twenty-five,  arriving  at — ha !  ha !  ha ! 
— with  a  puff,  puff  accompaniment  on  the  trombone." 

"  For  goodness  sake  don't  torture  me ;  go  on  with  the 
story,"  cried  Kate. 

"  Well,  I  was  explaining  all  this,"  said  Montgomery, 
suddenly  growing  serious,  "  when  out  she  darted  from  be- 
lling the  other  wing.  I  never  knew  she  was  there.  She 
called  me  a  thief,  and  said  she  would  not  have  me  another 
five  minutes  in  her  theatre.  Monti,  the  Italian  composer, 
was  sent  for.  I  was  shoved  out,  bag  and  baggage,  and 
there  will  be  no  more  rehearsals  till  the  new  music  is 
ready.     That's  all." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  you — very  sorry,"  said  Kate  very 
quietly,  and  she  raised  her  hand  to  brush  away  a  tear. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  care ;  I'd  sooner  have  the  piece  done  in 
Manchester.  Of  course  it  is  a  bore,  losing  a  hundred 
pounds.  But,  oh,  Kate!  do  tell  me  what's  the  matter; 
vou  know  5'ou  can  confide  in  me;  you  know  I  am  your 
friend." 

At  these  kind  words  the  cold  deadly  grief  that  encircled 
Kate's  heart  like  a  band  of  steel  melted,  and  she  wept  pro- 
fusely. Drawing  her  arm  into  his,  Montgomery  pleaded 
and  begged  to  be  told  the  reason  of  these  tears;  but  she 
could  make  no  answer,  and,  with  a  passionate  gesture, 
she  pressed  Dick's  letter  into  his  hand.  He  read  it  at  a 
glance,  and  then  hesitated,  unable  to  make  up  his  mind 
as  to  what  he  should  do.  No  words  seemed  to  him  adequate 
wherewith  to  console  her,  and  she  was  sobbing  so  bitterly 
that  it  was  beginning  to  attract  attention  in  the  streets. 
They  walked  on  without  speaking  for  a  few  yards.  Kate 
leaning  upon  Montgomery  until  a  hackney  coachman, 
guessing  that  something  was  wrong,  signed  to  them  with 
his  whip. 

"  Where  are  you  living,  dear  ?  " 

Kate  told  him  with  some  difficulty,  and  having  directed 
the  driver,  he  lapsed  again  into  considering  what  course 
he  should  adopt.  He  was  leaving  London  for  Manchester 
by  the  six-thirty  express.  To  put  off  the  journey  was  im- 
possible; Dick  had  promised  to  meet  him  there.     It  was 


A  Mummer's  Wife  433 

now  three  o'clock.  He  had  therefore,  three  hours  to  spend 
with  Kate — with  the  woman  whom  he  had  loved  stead- 
fastly throughout  a  loveless  life.  He  had  no  word  of 
blame  for  Dick;  be  had  heard  stories  that  had  made  his 
blood  run  cold ;  and  yet,  and  even  now,  knowing  her  faults 
as  he  did,  had  it  been  possible,  he  would  have  opened  his 
arms,  and  crying  through  the  fervor  of  years  of  waiting, 
said  to  her,  "  Yes,  I  will  believe  in  you ;  believe  in  me  and 
you  shall  be  happy."  There  had  never  been  a  secret 
between  them;  their  souls  had  been  forever  as  if  in  com- 
munication; and  the  love,  unacknowledged  in  words,  had 
long  been  as  sunlight  and  moonlight,  lighting  the  spaces 
of  their  dream-life.  To  the  woman  it  had  been  as  a  dis- 
tant star  whose  pale  light  was  in  hours  of  vexation  a 
ipresage  of  quietude;  to  the  man  it  seemed  as  a  far  Ely- 
sium radiant  with  sweet  longing,  large  hopes  that  waxed 
but  never  waned,  and  where  the  sweet  breezes  of  eternal 
felicitude  blew  in  musical  cadence. 

And  yet  he  was  deceived  in  nothing.  He  knew  now  as 
he  had  known  before,  that  although  this  dream  might 
haunt  him  forever,  he  should  never  hold  it  in  his  arms 
nor  press  it  to  his  lips;  and  in  the  midst  of  this  surging 
tide  of  misery  there  arose  a  desire  that,  glad  in  its  own 
anguish,  bade  him  increase  the  bitterness  of  these  last 
hours  by  making  a  confession  of  his  suffering; — and, 
exulting  savagely  in  the  martyrdom  he  was  preparing  for 
himself,  he  said — 

"  You  know.  Kate — I  know  you  must  know — you  must 
have  guessed  that  I  care  for  yon.  I  may  as  well  tell  you 
the  truth  now — you  are  the  only  woman  I  ever  loved." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  I  always  thought  you  cared  for  me. 
You  have  been  very  kind — oh !  very  kind,  and  I  often 
think  of  it.  Ah !  everybody  has,  all  my  life  long,  been  very 
good  to  me ;  it  is  I  alone  who  am  to  blame,  who  am  in  fault. 
I  have,  I  know  I  have,  been  very  wicked,  and  I  don't  know 
why.  I  did  not  mean  it ;  I  know  I  didn't,  for  I  am  not  at 
heart  a  wncked  woman.  I  suppose  things  must  have  gone 
against  me;  that's  about  all." 

Montgomery  pushed  his  glasses  higher  on  his  nose;  his 
face  grew  ludicrous  in  its  expression  of  sorrow;  but  it 
28 


434  A  Mummer's  Wife 

mattered  little  now  whether  he  were  handsome  or  ugly. 
After  a  long  silence,  he  said : 

"  I  have  often  thought  that  had  you  met  me  before  you 
knew  Dick,  things  might  have  been  different.  We  should 
have  got  on  better,  although  you  might  never  have  loved 
me  so  well." 

Kate  raised  her  eyes,  and  she  said : 

"No  one  will  ever  know  how  I  loved,  how  I  still  love 
that  man.  Oftentimes  I  think  that  had  I  loved  him  less 
I  should  have  been  a  better  wife.  He  loved  me,  I  think, 
but  it  was  not  the  love  I  dreamed  of.  Like  you,  I  was 
always  sentimental,  and  Dick  never  cared  for  that  sort  of 
thing." 

"  I  think  I  should  have  understood  you  better,"  said 
Montgomery;  and  the  conversation  came  to  a  pause.  A 
vision  of  the  life  of  devotion  spent  at  the  feet  of  an  ideal 
lover,  that  life  of  sacrifice  and  tenderness  wdiich  had  been 
her  dream,  and  which  she  had  so  utterly  failed  to  attain, 
again  rose  up  to  tantalize  her  like  a  glittering  mirage ;  and 
she  could  not  help  wondering  whether,  if  she  had  chosen 
this  other  man,  she  would  have  realized  this  beautiful, 
this  wonderful  might-have-been. 

"  But  I  suppose  you  will  make  it  up  with  Dick,"  said 
Montgomery  somewhat  harshly. 

Kate  awoke  from  her  reverie  with  a  start,  and  answered 
sorrowfully  that  she  did  not  know,  that  she  was  afraid 
Dick  would  never  forgive  her  again. 

"  I  do  not  remember  if  I  told  you  that  I  am  going  to  see 
him  in  Manchester;  he  promised  to  go  up  there  to  make 
some  arrangements  about  my  piece." 

"  No,  you  did  not  tell  me." 

"  Well,  I  will  speak  to  him.  I  will  tell  him  I  have  seen 
you.  I  fancy  I  shall  be  able  to  make  it  all  right,"  he 
added,  with  a  feeble  smile. 

"  Oh !  how  good  you  are — how  good  you  are,"  cried  Kate, 
clasping  her  hands.  "  If  he  will  only  forgive  me  once  again. 
I'll  promise,  I'll  swear  to  him  never  to — to " 

Here  Kate  stopped  abashed,  and  burying  her  face  in  her 
hands,  she  wept  bitterly.  The  tenderness,  the  melancholy 
serenity  of  their  interview,  had  somehow  suddenly  come 


A  Mummer's  Wife  435 

to  an  end.  Each  was  too  much  occupied  with  his  or  her 
thoughts  to  talk  much,  and  the  effort  to  find  phrases  grew 
more  and  more  irritating.  Both  were  very  sad,  and  al- 
though they  sighed  when  the  clock  struck  the  hour  of 
farewell,  they  felt  that  to  pass  from  one  pain  to  another 
was  in  itself  an  assuagement.  Kate  accompanied  Mont- 
gomery to  the  station.  He  seemed  to  her  to  be  out  of 
temper;  she  to  him  to  be  farther  away  than  ever.  The 
explanation  that  had  taken  place  between  them,  had,  if 
not  broken,  at  least  altered  the  old  bonds  of  sympathy, 
without  creating  now  ones;  and  they  were  discontented, 
even  like  children  who  remember  for  the  first  time  that  to- 
day is  not  yesterday. 

They  felt  lonely  watching  the  parallel  lines  of  plat- 
forms; and  when  Montgomery  waved  his  hand  for  the  last 
time,  and  the  train  rolled  into  the  luminous  arch  of  sky 
that  lay  beyond  the  glass  roofing,  Kate  turned  away  over- 
powered by  grief  and  cruel  recollections.  When  she  got 
home,  the  solitude  of  her  room  became  unbearable;  she 
wanted  someone  to  see,  someone  to  console  her.  She  had 
a  few  shillings  in  her  pocket,  but  she  remembered  her 
resolutions,  and  for  some  time  resented  the  imperious 
clutch  of  the  temptation.  But  the  sorrow  that  hung  about 
her,  that  penetrated  like  a  corrosive  acid  into  the  very 
marrow  of  her  bones,  grew  momentarily  more  burning, 
more  endurable.  Twenty  times  she  tried  to  wrench  it  out 
of  her  heart.  The  landlady  brought  her  up  some  tea:  she 
could  not  drink  it:  it  tasted  like  soapsuds  in  her  mouth. 
Then,  knowing  well  what  the  results  would  be,  she  re- 
solved to  go  out  for  a  walk. 

Next  day  she  was  ill,  and,  to  pull  herself  together,  it  was 
necessary  to  have  a  drink.  It  would  not  do  to  look  too 
great  a  sight  in  the  solicitor's  office  where  Dick  had  told 
her  in  his  letter  to  go  to  get  her  money.  There  she  found 
not  two,  but  five,  pounds  awaiting  her,  and  this  enabled 
her  to  keep  up  a  state  of  semi-intoxication  until  the  end 
of  the  week.  She  at  last  woke  up  almost  speechless,  suffer- 
ing terribly  from  palpitation  of  the  heart.  Fortunately, 
the  bell-rope  was  at  hand.  Constant  waves  of  shivering 
passed  over  her,  and  when  the  landlady  came  to  her  bed- 


436  A  Mummer's  Wife 

side,  she  nearly  lost  her  balance  and  fell  to  the  ground, 
so  strenuously  did  Kate  lean  and  cling  to  her  for  support. 
The  woman  was  frightened  at  the  appearance  her  lodggr 
presented.  The  large  eyes  were  hollow  and  lustreless,  and 
the  plump  olive  complexion  was  now  thin  and  dragged, 
and  full  of  dirty  yellow  tints.  After  gasping  painfully 
for  some  moments,  Kate  muttered: 

"  Oh,  oh !    I  am  afraid  I  am  dying.    I  am  very  ill." 

"  But  what  is  the  matter  ?  " 

'^  Oh,  these  palpitations  !  they — they  are  dreadful !  And 
I  have  a  pain  in  my  side." 

"  Would  you  like  to  see  the  doctor  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  perhaps  it  might  be  as  well." 

"  Shall  I  send  at  once,  then  ?  " 

"  No,  not  at  once.  What  do  you  think  ?  Suppose  you 
,pour  me  out  a  little  brandy  and  water;  and  I'll  see  how 
I  am  in  the  course  of  the  day." 

The  woman  did  as  she  was  desired;  and  when  the  drink 
had  taken  its  effect,  Kate  declared  she  felt  better.  If  it 
were  not  for  the  pain  in  her  side  and  shoulder  she'd  be  all 
right. 

The  landlady  looked  a  little  incredulous ;  but  her  lodger 
had  only  been  with  her  a  fortnight,  and  so  carefully  had 
the  brandy  been  hidden,  and  the  inebriety  concealed,  that 
although  she  had  her  doubts,  she  was  not  yet  satisfied  that 
Kate  was  an  habitual  drunkard.  Certainly,  the  appear- 
ances were  against  Mrs.  Lennox ;  but  as  regards  the  brandy 
bottle,  she  had  watched  it  very  carefully,  and  was  con- 
vinced that  scarcely  more  than  sixpenny  worth  of  liquor 
went  out  of  it  daily.  The  good  woman  did  not  know  how 
it  was  replenished  from  another  bottle  that  came  some- 
times from  under  the  mattress,  sometimes  out  of  the  chim- 
ney. And  the  disappearance  of  the  husband  was  very 
satisfactorily  accounted  for  by  the  announcement  that  he 
had  gone  to  Manchester  to  produce  a  new  piece.  Besides, 
Mrs.  Lennox  was  a  very  nice  person,  and  it  was  a  pleasure 
to  attend  to  her,  and  during  the  course  of  the  afternoon 
Mrs.  White,  the  landlady,  called  several  times  at  the  sec- 
ond floor  to  inquire  after  her  lodger's  health. 

But  there  was  no  change  for  the  better.     Looking  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  437 

picture  of  wretchedness,  Kate  lay  back  in  her  chair,  declar- 
ing in  low  moans  that  she  never  felt  so  ill  in  her  life — that 
the  pain  in  her  side  was  killing  her.  At  first,  Mrs.  White 
seemed  inclined  to  make  light  of  all  this  complaining,  but 
towards  evening  she  began  to  grow  alarmed,  and  strenu- 
ously urged  that  the  doctor  should  be  sent  for. 

"  I  assure  you,  ma'am,"  she  said,  "  it  is  always  better  to 
see  a  doctor.  The  money  is  never  thrown  away;  for  even 
if  there's  nothing  serious  the  matter,  it  eases  one's  mind 
to  be  told  so." 

Kate  was  generally  easy  to  persuade,  but  fearing  that 
her  secret  drinking  would  be  discovered,  she  declined  for 
a  long  time  to  take  medical  advice.  At  last,  however,  she 
was  obliged  to  give  away,  and  the  die  having  been  cast,  she 
commenced  to  think  how  she  might  conceal  part  of  the 
truth.  Something  of  the  coquetry  of  the  actress  returned 
to  her,  and,  getting  up  from  her  chair,  she  went  over  to 
the  glass  to  examine  herself.  She  was  horrified  at  the 
appearance  she  presented,  and  as  she  brushed  back  her 
hair,  she  said  very  sorrowfully: 

"  I  am  a  complete  wreck.  I  can't  think  what's  the 
matter  with  me,  and  I  have  lost  all  my  hair.  You  have  no 
idea,  Mrs.  White,  of  the  beautiful  hair  I  used  to  have;  it 
used  to  fall  in  armfuls  over  my  shoulders;  now,  it  is  no 
more  than  a  wisp." 

"  I  think  you  have  a  great  deal  yet,"  returned  Mrs. 
Wliite,  not  wishing  to  discourage  her. 

"  And  how  yellow  I  am,  too ! " 

To  this  Mrs.  White  mumbled  something  that  was  in- 
audible, and  Kate  thought  suddenly  of  her  rouge-pot  and 
hare's-foot.  Her  "  make-up,"  and  all  her  little  souvenirs 
of  Dick,  lay  securely  packed  away  in  an  old  band-box. 

"  Mrs.  T\niit€,"  she  said.  "  might  I  ask  you  to  get  me  a 
jug  of  hot  water  ?  " 

When  the  woman  left  the  room,  everything  was  spread 
luirriedly  over  the  toilet-table.  To  see  her,  one  would  have 
thought  that  the  call-boy  had  knocked  at  the  door  for  the 
second  time.  A  thin  coating  of  cold  cream  was  passed  over 
the  face  and  neck;  then  the  powder-puff  changed  what  was 
yellow  into  white,  and  the  hare's-foot  gave  a  sweet  bloom 


438  A  Mummer's  Wife 

to  the  cheeks.  The  pencil  was  not  necessary,  her  ey.ebrows 
being  by  nature  dark  and  well-defined.  Then  all  dis- 
appeared again  into  the  band-box,  a  drain  was  taken  out 
of  the  bottle  whilst  she  listened  to  steps  on  the  stairs,  and 
she  had  just  time  to  get  back  to  her  chair  when  the  doctor 
entered.  She  felt  quite  prepared  to  receive  him.  Mrs. 
White,  who  had  come  up  at  the  same  time,  looked  uneasily 
around;  and,  after  hesitating  about  the  confines  of  the 
room,  she  put  the  water-jug  on  the  rosewood  cabinet,  and 
said — 

"  I  think  I'll  leave  you  alone  with  the  doctor,  ma'am ; 
if  you  want  me  you'll  ring." 

Mr.  Hooper  was  a  sliort,  stout  man,  with  a  large  bald 
forehead,  and  long  black  hair;  his  small  eyes  were  watch- 
ful as  a  ferret's,  and  his  fat  chubby  hands  were  constantly 
laid  on  his  knee-caps. 

"  I  met  Mrs.  White's  servant  in  the  street,"  he  said, 
looking  at  Kate  as  if  he  were  trying  to  read  through  the 
rouge  on  her  face,  "  so  I  came  at  once.  Mrs.  White,  with 
whom  I  was  speaking  downstairs,  tells  me  that  you  are 
suffering  from  a  pain  in  your  side." 

"  Yes,  doctor,  on  the  right  side ;  and  I  have  not  been 
feeling  very  well  lately." 

"  Is  your  appetite  good  ?  Will  you  let  me  feel  your 
pulse?" 

"  No,  I  have  scarcely  any  appetite  at  all — particularly 
in  the  morning.     I  can't  touch  anything  for  breakfast." 

"  Don't  you  care  to  drink  anything  ?  Aren't  you 
thirsty?" 

Kate  would  have  liked  to  have  told  a  lie,  but  fearing 
that  she  might  endanger  her  life  by  doing  so,  she 
answered, 

"  Oh,  yes !    I  am  constantly  very  thirsty." 

"  Especially  at  night-time  ?  " 

It  was  irritating  to  have  your  life  thus  read;  and  Kn.te 
felt  angry  when  she  saw  this  dispa?;-ionnte  man  watching 
the  brandy-bottle,  which  she  had  forgotten  to  put  away. 

"  Do  you  ever  find  it  necessary  to  take  any  stimulant?  " 

Grasping  at  the  word  "  necessary."  she  replied, 

"Yes,  doctor;  my  life  isn't  a  Very  happy  one,  and  I 


A  Mummer's  Wife  439 

often  feel  so  low,  so  depressed  as  it  were,  that  if  I  didn't 
take  a  little  something  to  keep  me  up  I  think  I  should  do 
away  with  myself." 

"  Your  husband  is  an  actor,  I  believe  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  he's  at  present  up  in  Manchester,  produc- 
ing a  new  piece.  I  am  on  the  stage,  too.  I  have  been 
playing  a  round  of  leading  parts  in  the  provinces,  but 
since  I  have  been  in  London  I  have  been  out  of  an  engage- 
ment." 

"  I  just  asked  you  because  I  noticed  you  use  a  little 
powder,  you  know,  on  the  face.  Of  course,  I  can't  judge  at 
present  what  your  complexion  is;  but  have  you  noticed 
any  yellowness  about  the  skin  lately  ?  " 

The  first  instinct  of  a  woman  who  drinks  is  to  conceal 
her  vice,  and  although  she  was  talking  to  a  doctor,  Kate 
was  again  conscious  of  a  feeling  of  resentment  against 
the  merciless  eyes  which  saw  through  all  the  secrets  of  her 
life.  But,  cowed,  as  it  were,  by  the  certitude  expressed  by 
the  doctor's  looks  and  words,  she  strove  to  equivocate,  and 
answered  humbly  that  she  had  noticed  that  her  skin  was 
not  looking  as  clear  as  it  used  to.  Dr.  Hooper  then  ques- 
tioned her  further.  He  asked  if  she  suffered  from  a  sense 
of  uncomfortable  tension,  fulness,  weight  especially  after 
meals ;  if  she  felt  any  pain  in  her  right  shoulder  ?  and  she 
had  to  confess  that  he  was  right  in  all  his  surmises. 

"  Do  tell  me,  doctor,  what  is  the  matter  with  me  ?  I 
would  really,  I  assure  you,  much  sooner  know  the  worst." 

But  the  doctor  did  not  seem  inclined  to  be  communica- 
tive, and  he  merely  mumbled,  in  reply  to  her  question, 
something  to  the  effect  that  the  liver  was  out  of  order. 

"  I  will  send  you  over  some  medicine  this  evening,"  he 
said,  "  and  if  you  do  not  feel  better  to-morrow  send  round 
for  me,  and  do  not  attempt  to  get  up.  I  think,"  he  added, 
as  he  took  up  his  hat  to  go,  "  I  shall  be  able  to  put  you  all 
right.  But  you  mu.st  follow  my  instructions;  you  must 
not  frighten  yourself,  and  take  as  little  of  that  stimulant 
as  you  can  help." 

Kate  answered  that  it  was  not  her  custom  to  take  too 
much,  and  she  tried  to  look  surprised  at  the  warning.  She 
nevertheless   derived  a  good   deal   of   comfort   from    the 


440  A  Mummer's  Wife 

doctor's  visit,  and  during  the  course  of  the  evening  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  herself  that  her  fears  of  the  morn- 
ing were  ill-founded^  and,  putting  the  medicine  that  was 
sent  her  away  for  the  present,  she  helped  herself  liberally 
from  a  bottle  that  was  drawn  through  a  slit  cut  in  the 
carpet.  The  fact  of  having  a  long  letter  to  write  to  Dick 
to  explain  her  conduct  made  it  quite  necessary  that  she 
should  take  something  to  keep  her  up,  and  sitting  in  her 
lonely  room,  she  drank  on  steadily  until  midnight,  until 
she  could  only  just  drag  her  clothes  from  her  back  and 
throw  herself  stupidly  into  bed.  There  she  passed  a  fear- 
some night — a  night  full  of  livid-hued  nightmares,  sudden 
and  lean  horrors,  from  which  she  awoke  shivering,  and 
suffering  form  terrible  palpitations  of  the  heart.  The 
silence  of  the  house  filled  her  with  terrors,  cold  and  obtuse 
as  the  dreams  from  which  she  had  awakened.  Strength 
to  scream  for  help  she  had  none;  and  thinking  she  was 
going  to  die,  she  sought  for  relief  and  consolation  in  the 
bottle  that  lay  hidden  under  the  carpet.  When  the  drink 
took  effect  upon  her  she  broke  out  into  a  profuse  perspira- 
tion, and  she  managed  to  get  a  little  sleep;  but  when  her 
breakfast  was  brought  up  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, so  ill  did  she  seem  that  the  servant,  fearing  she  was 
going  to  drop  down  dead,  1:)egged  to  be  allowed  to  fetch 
the  doctor.  Eejecting,  however,  all  offers  of  assistance, 
Kate  lay  moaning  in  an  arm-chair,  unable  even  to  taste 
the  cup  of  tea  that  the  maid  pressed  upon  her.  She  con- 
sented to  take  some  of  the  medicines  that  had  been  or- 
dered her,  but  whatever  good  they  might  have  produced 
was  negatived  by  the  constant  nip-drinking  she  kept  up 
during  the  afternoon.  The  next  day  she  was  very  ill  in- 
deed, and  Mrs.  White,  greatly  alarmed,  insisted  on  send- 
ing for  Dr.  Hooper. 

He  did  not  seem  astonished  at  the  change  in  his  patient. 
Calmly  and  quietly  he  watched  for  some  moments  in 
silence. 

The  bed  had  window-curtains  of  a  red  and  antiquated 
material,  and  these  contrasted  with  the  paleness  of  the 
sheets  wherein  Kate  lay,  tossing  feverishly.  Most  of  the 
"  make-up ''  had  been  rubbed  away  from  her  face ;  and 


A  Mummer's  Wife  441 

through  patches  of  red  and  white  the  yellow  skin  started 
like  blisters.  She  was  slightly  delirious,  and  when  the 
doctor  took  her  hand  to  feel  her  pulse,  gazing  at  him  with 
her  big  staring  eyes,  she  spoke  volubly  and  excitedly. 

"  Oh !  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,  for  I  wanted  to  speak 
to  you  about  my  husband.  I  think  I  told  you  that  he  had 
gone  to  Manchester  to  produce  a  new  piece.  I  don't  know 
if  I  led  you  to  suppose  that  he  had  deserted  me,  but  if  I 
did  I  was  wrong  to  do  so,  for  he  has  done  nothing  of  the 
kind.  It  is  true  that  we  aren't  very  happy  together,  but 
1  daresay  that  is  my  fault.  I  never  was,  I  know,  as  good 
a  wife  to  him  as  I  had  intended  to  be;  but  then  he  made 
me  jealous  and  sometimes  I  was  mad.  Yes,  I  think  I  must 
have  been  mad  to  have  spoken  to  him  in  the  way  I  did. 
Anyhow,  it  doesn't  matter  now,  does  it,  doctor?  But  I 
don't  know  what  I  am  saying.  Still,  you  won't  mention 
that  I  have  told  you  anything.  It  is  as  likely  as  not  that 
he  will  forgive  me,  just  as  he  did  before ;  and  we  may  yet 
be  as  happy  as  we  were  at  Blackpool.  You  won't  tell  him, 
will  you,  doctor  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  I  will  not,"  said  Dr.  Hooper,  quietly  and 
firmly.  "  But  you  mustn't  talk  as  much  as  you  do ;  if  you 
want  to  see  your  husband,  you  must  get  well  first." 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  must  get  well ;  but  tell  me,  doctor,  how  long 
will  that  take  ?  " 

"  Not  very  long,  if  you  will  keep  quiet  and  do  what  I 
tell  you.  I  want  you  to  tell  me,  how  is  the  pain  in  your 
side?" 

"  Very  bad ;  far  worse  than  when  I  saw  you  last.  I  feel 
it  now  in  my  right  shoulder  as  well." 

"  But  your  side — is  it  sore  when  you  touch  it  ?  Will 
you  let  me  feel  ?  " 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  he  passed  his  hand  under 
the  sheet. 

"  Is  it  there  that  it  pains  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes.    Oh  !  you  are  hurting  me." 

Then  the  doctor  walked  aside  with  the  landlady,  who  had 
been  watching  the  examination  of  the  patient  with  anxious 
eyes.     She  said: 


442  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  anything  very  dangerous  ?  Is  it 
contagious  ?    Had  I  better  send  her  to  the  hospital  ?  " 

"  No,  I  should  scarcely  think  it  worth  while  doing  that ; 
she  will  be  well  in  a  week,  that  is  to  say  if  she  is  properly 
looked  after.  She  is  suffering  from  acute  congestion  of 
the  liver,  brought  on  by " 

"  By  drink,"  said  Mrs.  White.     "  I  suspected  as  much." 

"  You  have  too  much  to  do,  Mrs.  White,  with  all  your 
children,  to  give  up  your  time  to  nursing  her ;  1  shall  send 
someone  round  as  soon  as  possible,  but,  in  the  meantime, 
will  you  see  that  her  diet  is  regulated  to  half  a  cup  of  beef- 
tea  every  hour  or  so.  If  she  complains  of  thirst,  let  her 
have  some  milk  to  drink,  and  you  may  mix  a  little  brandy 
with  it.    To-night  I  shall  send  round  a  sleeping  draught." 

"  You're  sure,  doctor,  there  is  nothing  catching,  for  you 
know,  that  with  all  my  children  in  the  house " 

"  You  need  not  be  alarmed,  Mrs.  White." 

"  But  do  you  think,  doctor,  it  will  be  an  expensive  ill- 
ness? for  I  know  very  little  about  her  circumstances." 

"  I  expect  she'll  be  all  right  in  a  week  or  ten  days,  but 
what  I  fear  for  is  her  future.  I've  had  a  good  deal  of  ex- 
perience in  such  matters,  and  I  have  never  known  a  case 
of  a  woman  who  cured  herself  of  the  vice  of  intemperance. 
A  man  sometimes,  a  woman  never." 

The  landlady  sighed  and  referred  to  all  she  had  gone 
through  during  poor  Mr.  White's  lifetime;  the  doctor 
spoke  confidingly  of  a  lady  who  was  at  present  under  his 
charge;  and,  apparently  overcome  with  pity  for  suffer- 
ing humanity,  they  descended  the  staircase  together.  On 
the  doorstep  the  conversation  was  continued. 

"  Very  well,  then,  doctor,  I  will  take  your  advice ;  but  at 
the  end  of  a  week  or  so,  when  she  is  quite  recovered,  I  shall 
tell  her  that  I  have  let  her  rooms.  For,  as  you  say,  a 
woman  rarely  cures  herself,  and  before  the  children  the 
example  would  be  dreadful." 

"  I  expect  to  see  her  on  her  feet  in  about  that  time,  then 
you  can  do  as  you  please.    I  shall  call  to-morrow." 

Next  day  the  professional  nurse  took  her  place  by  the 
bedside.  The  sinapism  which  the  doctor  ordered  was  ap- 
plied to  the  hepatic  region,  and  a  small  dose  of  calomel  was 
administered. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  443 

Under  this  treatment  she  imj)rovcd  rapidly;  but  un- 
fortunately, as  her  health  returned  her  taste  for  drink 
increased  in  a  like  proportion.  Indeed,  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  keep  her  from  it,  and  on  one  occasion  she  tried 
very  cunningly  to  outwit  the  nurse,  who  had  fallen  asleep 
in  her  chair.  Waiting  patiently  until  the  woman's  snor- 
ing had  become  sufficiently  regular  to  warrant  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  successful  attempt  being  made  on  the  brandy- 
bottle,  Kate  slipped  noiselessly  out  of  bed.  Kate  knew  tliat 
all  the  bottles  stood  in  a  line  upon  the  chest  of  drawers, 
but  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other,  and 
the  jingling  she  made  as  she  fumbled  amid  them  awoke 
tlie  nurse,  who  divining  at  once  what  was  happening,  arose 
quickly  from  her  chair  and  advancing  rapidly  towards  her, 
said : 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  really  can't  allow  it ;  it  is  against  the 
doctor's  orders." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  die  of  thirst  to  please  any  doctor.  I 
was  only  going  to  take  a  little  milk.  I  suppose  there  is  no 
harm  in  that  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least,  ma'am,  and  if  you  had  called  me  you 
should  have  had  it." 

It  was  owing  to  this  fortuitous  intervention,  when  Dr. 
Hooper  called  a  couple  of  days  after  to  see  his  patient,  that 
he  was  able  to  certify  to  a  remarkable  change  for  the  better 
in  her.  All  the  distressing  symptoms  had  disappeared; 
the  pain  in  the  side  had  died  away;  the  complexion  was 
clearer.  He  therefore  thought  himself  justified  in  order- 
ing for  her  lunch  a  little  fish  and  some  weak  brandy-and- 
water;  and  to  Kate,  who  had  not  eaten  any  solid  food  for 
several  days,  this  first  meal  took  the  importance  of  a  very 
exceptional  event.  Sitting  by  her  bedside  Dr.  Hooper 
spoke  to  her. 

"  Now,  Mrs.  Lennox,"  he  said,  "  I  want  to  give  you  a  word 
of  warning.  I  have  seen  you  through  what  I  must  specify 
as  a  serious  illness;  dangerous  I  will  not  call  it,  although 
I  might  do  so  if  I  were  to  look  into  the  future  and  antici- 
pate the  development  the  disease  will  most  certainly  take, 
unless,  indeed,  you  will  be  guided  by  me,  and  make  a  vow 
against  all  intoxicating  liquors." 


444  A  Mummer's  Wife 

At  this  direct  allusion  to  her  vice  Kate  stopped  eating, 
and  putting  down  the  fork  looked  at  the  doctor. 

"  Now,  Mrs.  Lennox,  you  must  not  be  angry/'  he  con- 
tinued in  his  kind  way.  "  I  am  speaking  to  you  in  my 
capacity  as  a  medical  man,  and  I  must  warn  you  against 
the  continuous  nip  drinking  which,  of  course,  I  can  see 
you  are  in  the  habit  of  indulging  in,  and  which  was  the 
cause  of  the  illness  from  which  you  are  recovering.  I  will 
not  harrow  your  feelings  by  referring  to  all  the  cases  that 
have  come  under  my  notice  where  shame,  disgrace,  ruin,  and 
death  were  the  result  of  that  one  melancholy  failing — 
drink." 

"  Oh,  sir !  "  cried  Kate,  broken-hearted,  "  if  you  only 
knew  how  unhappy  I  have  been,  how  miserable  I  am,  you 
Avould  not  speak  to  me  so.  I  have  my  failing  it  is  true, 
but  I  am  driven  to  it.  I  love  my  husband  better  than 
anything  in  the  world,  and  I  see  him  mixed  up  always 
with  a  lot  of  girls  at  the  theatres,  and  it  sends  me  mad, 
and  then  I  go  to  drink  so  as  to  forget." 

"  We  have  all  got  our  troubles ;  but  it  does  not  relieve  us 
of  the  burden,  it  only  makes  us  forget  it  for  a  short  time, 
and  then,  when  consciousness  returns  to  us,  we  only  re- 
member it  all  the  more  bitterly.  No,  Mrs.  Lennox,  take 
my  advice.  In  a  few  days,  when  you  are  well,  go  to  your 
husband,  demand  his  forgiveness,  and  resolve  then  never 
to  touch  spirits  again." 

"  It  is  very  good  of  you  to  speak  to  me  in  this  way," 
said  Kate,  tearfully,  "  and  I  will  take  our  advice.  The 
very  first  day  that  I  am  strong  enough  to  walk  down  to  the 
Strand  I  will  go  and  see  my  husband,  and  if  he  will  give 
me  another  trial,  he  will  not,  I  swear  to  you,  have  cause 
to  repent  it.  Oh !  "  she  continued,  "  you  don't  know  how 
good  lie  has  been  to  me,  how  he  has  borne  with  me.  If 
it  hadn't  been  that  he  tried  my  temper  by  flirting  with 
other  women  we  might  have  been  happy  now." 

Then,  as  Kate  proceeded  to  speak  of  her  trials  and  temp- 
tations, she  grew  more  and  more  excited  and  hysterical, 
until  the  doctor,  fearing  that  she  would  bring  on  a  relapse, 
was  forced  to  plead  an  engagement  and  wish  her  good-by. 

As  he  left  the  room  she  cried  after  him,  "  The  first  day  I 
am  well  enough  to  go  out  I  will  go  and  see  my  husband." 


CHAPTER    XXIX 


jHE   next  few   days   pagged   like   dreams.     Kate's 
soul,  tense  with  the  longing  for  reconciliation, 
floated  at  ease  over  the  sordid  miseries  that  lay 
within   and   without   her,   and   enraptured  with 
expectation,  she  lived  in  a  beautiful  paradise  of  hope. 

So  certain  did  she  feel  of  being  able  to  cross  out,  with 
firm  erasure,  the  last  few  years  of  her  life,  that  her  mind 
was  scarcely  clouded  by  a  doubt  of  the  possibility  of  his 
declining  to  forgive  her — that  he  might  even  refuse  to  see 
her.  Charming  the  old  days  seemed  to  her,  and  looking 
back,  perfect  even  she  seemed  then  to  have  been.  There 
her  life  appeared  to  have  begun.  She  never  thought  of 
Hanley  now.  Ealph  and  Mrs.  Ede  were  like  dim  shadows 
that  had  no  concern  in  her  existence.  The  potteries  and 
the  hills  were  as  the  recollections  of  childhood,  dim  and 
unimportant.  The  foot-lights  and  the  applause  of  audi- 
ences were  also  dying  echoes  in  her  ears.  Her  life  for  the 
moment  was  concentrated  in  a  loving  memory  of  a  Lanca- 
shire seashore  and  a  rose-colored  room,  where  she  used  to 
sit  on  the  knees  of  the  man  she  adored.  The  languors 
and  the  mental  weaknesses  of  convalescence  were  condu- 
cive to  this  state  of  mental  exaltation.  She  loved  him 
better  than  anyone  else  could  love  him;  she  would  never 
touch  brandy  again.  He  would  take  her  back,  and  they 
would  live  as  did  the  lovers  in  all  the  novels  she  had  ever 
read.  Like  a  scarf  of  white  mist  hanging  around  the  face 
of  a  radiant  morning,  these  allusions  filled  Kate's  mind, 
and  as  she  lay  back  amid  the  pillows,  or  sat  dreaming  by 
the  fireside  in  the  long  evenings  that  were  no  longer  lonely 
to  her,  she  formed  plans,  and  considered  how  she  should 
plead  to  Dick  in  this  much-desired  interview.  During  this 
period  dozens  of  letters  were  written  and  destroyed,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  time  had  arrived  for  her  to  go  to  the  the- 
atre to  see  him  that  she  could  decide  upon  what  she  could 


446  A  Mummer's  Wife 

write.  Then  hastily  she  scribbled  a  note,  but  her  hand 
trembled  so  much  that  before  she  had  said  half  what  she 
intended  the  paper  was  covered  with  blotted  jind  blurred 
lines. 

"  It  will  not  do  to  let  him  think  I  am  drunk  again," 
she  said  to  herself,  as  she  threw  aside  what  she  had  written 
and  read  over  one  of  her  previous  efforts.  It  ran  as 
follows : — 

"  My  Darling  Dick, 

"  You  will,  I  am  sure,  be  sorry  to  hear  that  I  have  been  very  ill. 
I  am  now,  however,  much  better  ;  indeed,  I  may  say  quite  recovered. 
During  my  illness  I  have  been  thinking  over  our  quarrels,  and  I  now 
see  how  badly,  how  wickedly,  I  have  behaved  to  you  on  many  occa- 
sions. I  do  not  know,  and  I  scarcely  dare  to  hope  that  you  will  ever 
forgive  me,  but  I  trust  that  you  will  not  refuse  to  see  me  for  a  few 
minutes.  I  have,  I  assure  you,  not  tasted  spirits  for  some  weeks,  so 
you  need  not  fear  I  will  kick  up  a  row.  I  will  promise  to  be  very 
quiet.  I  will  not  reproach  you.  nor  get  excited,  nor  raise  my  voice. 
I  shall  be  very  good,  and  will  not  detain  you  but  for  a  very  short 
time.  You  will  not,  you  cannot,  oh,  my  darling  !  deny  me  this  one 
little  request — to  see  you  again,  although  only  for  a  few  minutes. 

"  Your  affectionate  wife, 

"  Kate." 

Compared  with  the  fervid  thoughts  of  her  brain,  these 
words  appeared  to  her  weak  and  poor,  but  feeling  that  for 
the  moment,  at  least,  she  could  not  add  to  their  intensit_y, 
she  set  out  on  her  walk,  hoping  to  find  her  husband  at  the 
theatre. 

It  was  al)out  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  A  light,  gray 
fog  hung  over  the  background  of  the  streets,  and  the  line 
of  the  housetops  was  almost  lost  in  the  morose  shadows 
that  fell  from  a  pale  soot-colored  sky.  Here  and  there  a 
chimney-stack  or  the  sharp  spire  of  a  church  tore  the 
muslin-like  curtains  of  descending  mist;  below  the  streets 
twisted,  wriggling  their  luminous  way  through  slime  and 
gloom,  whilst  at  every  turning  the  broad,  flaring  windows 
of  the  public-houses  marked  the  English  highway.  But 
Kate  paid  no  attention  to  the  red-lettered  temptations. 
Docile  and  hopeful  as  a  tired  animal  thinking  of  its  stable, 
she  walked  through  the  dark  crowd  that  pressed  upon  her, 
nor  did  she  even  notice  when  she  was  Jostled,  but  went  on, 


A  Mummer's  Wife  44'>' 

a  heedless  nondescript — a  something  in  a  black  shawl  and 
a  quasi-respectable  bonnet,  a  slippery  stepping-stone  be- 
tween the  low  women  who  whispered  and  the  workwoman 
who  hurried  home  with  the  tin  of  evening  beer  in  her  hand. 
Like  one  held  and  guided  by  the  power  of  a  dream,  she  lost 
consciousness  of  all  that  was  not  of  it.  Vague  as  the  mist, 
thoughts  of  how  Dick  would  receive  her  and  forgive  her 
were  folded,  entangled,  and  broken  within  narrow  limits 
of  time ;  half  an  hour  passed  like  a  minute,  and  she  found 
herself  at  the  stage-door  of  the  theatre.  Drawing  her  letter 
from  her  pocket,  she  said  to  the  hall-keeper: 

"  Will  you  kindly  give  Mr.  Lennox  this  letter  ?  Has  he 
arrived  yet  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  he's  very  busy  for  the  moment.  But,"  the 
man  added,  as  he  examined  Kate's  features  narrowly, 
"  you'll  excuse  me,  I  made  a  mistake ;  Mr.  Lennox  isn't  in 
the  theatre." 

Her  heart  sank  within  her.  Would  she  not  be  able  to 
get  to  see  her  husband,  even  for  a  few  minutes?  At  that 
moment  the  swinging  door  was  thrust  open,  and  the  call- 
boy  screamed — 

"  Mr.  Lennox  says  you  are  not  to  let  Miss  Thomas  pass 
to-night,  and  if  there  are  any  letters  for  him  I  am  to  take 
them  in." 

"  Here  is  one ;  will  you  give  it  to  Mr.  Lennox  ?  "  said 
Kate,  eagerly  thrusting  forward  her  note.  "  Say  that  I  am 
waiting  for  an  answer." 

The  stage-door  keeper  tried  to  interpose,  but  before  he 
could  explain  himself  the  boy  had  rushed  away. 

"  All  letters  should  be  given  to  me,"  he  growled  as  he 
turned  away  to  argue  with  Miss  Thomas,  who  had  just 
arrived.     In  a  few  minutes  the  call-boy  came  back. 

"  Will  you  please  step  this  way,"  he  said  to  Kate. 

"  No  you  sha'n't,"  cried  the  hallkeeper ;  "  if  you  try  any 
nonsense  with  me  I  shall  send  round  for  a  policeman." 

Kate  started  back  frightened,  thinking  these  words  were 
addressed  to  her,  but  a  glance  showed  her  that  she  was 
mistaken. 

"  Oh !  how  dare  you  talk  to  me  like  that  ?  You  are  an 
unsophisticated  beast !  "  cried  Miss  Thomas. 


448  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  Pass  under  my  arm,  ma'am,"  said  the  hallkeeper.  "  I 
don't  want  this  one  to  get  through."  And  amid  a  storm  of 
violent  words  and  the  strains  of  distant  music  Ivate  went 
up  a  narrow  staircase  that  creaked  under  the  weight  of  a 
group  of  girls  in  strange  dresses.  When  she  got  past  them 
she  saw  Dick  at  the  door  of  his  room  waiting  for  her.  The 
table  was  covered  with  letters,  the  walls  with  bills  announc- 
ing "  a  great  success." 

He  took  her  hand  very  kindly,  and  placed  her  in  a  chair. 
She  looked  at  him,  disappointed  that  he  did  not  kiss  her. 
It  seemed  doubtful  at  first  who  would  break  an  awkward 
and  irritating  silence.    At  last  Dick  said : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear,  Kate,  that  you  have  been  ill ;  but 
you  are  looking  better  now." 

"  Yes,  I'm  better  now,"  she  replied  drearily ;  "  but  per- 
haps if  I  had  died  it  would  have  been  as  well,  for  you  can 
never  love  me  again." 

Dick  seemed  embarrassed  by  the  question.  He  hesi- 
tated, and  sought  for  words.  It  was  distinctly  against  his 
nature  to  confess  to  any  woman  that  he  did  not  love  her, 
and  he  did  not  see  his  way  for  the  moment  to  making  an 
exception  even  in  the  case  of  his  wife. 

"  You  know,  my  dear,"  he  said,  equivocating,  "  that  we 
did  not  get  on  well  together." 

Mistaken  for  signs  of  a  possible  forgiveness  the  want  of 
moral  courage  which  prevented  him  from  telling  her  man- 
fully that  nothing  in  heaven  or  earth  would  ever  persuade 
him  to  sleep  under  the  seame  roof  with  her  again,  Kate 
at  once  melted  to  tenderness.  The  instincts  of  the  actress 
seemed  to  awaken  in  her,  and  she  said,  with  tears  in  her 
voice : 

"  Oh,  Dick !  I  know  it.  You  were  very  good  to  me,  and 
I  made  your  life  wretched  on  account  of  my  jealousy,  but 
I  couldn't  help  it,  for  I  loved  you  better  than  a  woman  ever 
loved  a  man.  I  cannot  tell  you,  I  cannot  find  words  to 
express  how  much  I  love  you.  You  are  to  me  everything. 
I  lived  for  your  love ;  I  am  dying  of  it.  Yes,  Dick,  I  am 
dying  for  love  of  you;  I  feel  it  here;  it  devours  me  like 
a  fire,  and  what  is  so  strange  is,  that  nothing  seems  real 
to  me  except  you.    I  never  think  of  anything  but  of  things 


A  Mummer's  Wife  449 

that  concern  you.  Anything  that  ever  belonged  to  you  I 
treasure  up  as  a  relic.  You  know  the  chaplet  of  pearls  I 
used  to  wear  when  we  played  The  Lover's  Knot.  Well,  I 
have  them  still,  although  all  else  has  gone  from  me.  The 
string  was  broken  once  or  twice,  and  some  of  the  pearls 
were  lost,  but  I  threaded  them  again,  and  it  still  goes 
round  my  neck.  I  was  looking  at  them  the  other  day,  and 
it  made  me  very  sad,  for  it  made  me  think  of  the  happy 
days — ah,  the  very  happy  days! — we  have  had  together 
before  I  took  to — .  But  I  won't  speak  of  that.  I  have 
cured  myself.  Yes,  I  assure  you,  Dick,  I  have  cured  my- 
self; and  it  is  for  that  I  have  come  to  talk  to  you.  Were 
I  not  sure  that  I  would  never  touch  brandy  again  I  would 
not  ask  you  to  take  me  back,  for  I  would  sooner  die  than 
do  what  I  have  done,  but  I  know  that  I  never  will.  Can 
you — will  you — my  own  darling,  Dick,  give  me  another 
trial ?  " 

The  intensity  of  her  emotion  gave  new  life  to  the  words 
that  were  often  but  memories  of  half-forgotten  stage-plays, 
and  it  was  evident  that  Dick  was  fighting  a  hard  fight 
against  his  feelings,  and  was  determined  to  do  all  he  could 
not  to  give  way.  From  past  experience,  he  knew  well  that 
Kate's  reformation  was  only  a  thing  of  to-day  to-morrow, 
or  next  day — that,  sooner  or  later,  she  was  bound  to  fall 
back  into  her  old  ways,  and  that  then  would  be  re-enacted 
all  the  horrible  scenes  that  he  had  gone  through,  and  that 
he  now  hoped  he  had  done  with  forever.  Dick  looked  at 
Kate,  troubled  in  his  very  entrails.  The  victory  hung  in 
the  balance,  but  at  that  moment  a  superb  girl,  in  all  the 
splendor  of  long  green  tights,  and  resplendent  with  breast- 
plate and  spear,  flung  open  the  door. 

"  Look  here,  Dick,"  she  began,  but  seeing  Kate,  she 
stopped  short,  and  stammered  out  an  apology. 

"  I  shall  be  down  on  the  stage  in  a  minute,  dear,'^  he 
said,  rising  from  his  chair.  The  door  was  shut,  and  they 
were  again  alone;  but  Kate  felt  that  chance  had  gone 
against  her.  The  interruption  had.  with  a  sudden  shock, 
killed  the  emotions  she  had  succeeded  in  awakening,  and 
had  supplied  Dick  with  an  answer  that  would  lead  him,  by 
a  way  after  Ms  own  heart,  straight  out  of  his  difficulty. 


450  A  Mummer's  Wife 

"  My  dear,"  lie  said,  rising  from  his  chair,  "  I  am  aw- 
fully glad  you  have  given  up  the — you  know  what — for 
between  you  and  me,  that  was  the  cause  of  all  our  trouble ; 
but,  candidly  speaking,  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  advis- 
able for  us  to  live  together,  at  least  for  the  present,  and 
I'll  tell  you  why.  I  know  that  you  love  me  very  much, 
but,  as  you  said  yourself  just  now,  it  is  your  jealousy  and 
the  drink  together  that  excites  you,  and  leads  up  to  those 
terrible  rows.  Now,  the  best  plan  would  be  for  us  to  live 
apart,  let  us  say  for  six  months  or  so,  until  you  have  en- 
tirely got  over  your  little  weakness,  you  know ;  and  then — 
why,  then  we'll  be  as  happy  as  we  used  to  be  at  Blackpool 
in  the  dear  old  times  long  ago." 

"  Oh,  Dick !  don't  say  that  I  must  wait  six  months ;  I 
might  be  dead  before  then.  But  you  are  not  speaking  the 
truth  to  me.  You  were  just  going  to  say  that  I  might 
come  back  to  you  when  the  horrid  girl  came  in.  I  know. 
Yes,  I  believe  there  is  something  between  you." 

"  Now,  Kate,  remember  your  promise  not  to  kick  up  a 
row.  I  consented  to  see  you  because  you  said  you  would  not 
be  violent.    Here  is  your  letter." 

"  I  am  not  going  to  be  violent,  Dick ;  but  six  months 
seems  such  a  long  time." 

"  It  won't  be  as  long  passing  as  you  think.  And  now  I 
must  run  away;  they  are  waiting  for  me  on  the  stage. 
Have  you  seen  the  piece  ?    Would  you  like  to  go  in  front  ?  " 

"  No,  not  to-night,  Dick ;  I  feel  too  sad.  But  won't  you 
kiss  me  before  I  go  ?  " 

Dick  bent  his  face  and  kissed  her;  but  there  was  a  chill 
in  the  kiss  that  went  to  her  heart,  and  she  felt  that  his 
lips  would  never  touch  hers  again.  But  she  had  no  pro- 
test to  make,  and  almost  in  silence  she  allowed  herself  to 
be  shown  out  of  the  theatre.  When  she  got  into  the  mist 
she  shivered  a  little,  and  drew  her  thin  shawl  tighter  about 
her  thin  shoulders,  and.  with  one  of  the  choruses  still  ring- 
ing in  her  ears,  she  walked  in  the  direction  of  the  Strand. 
Somehow  her  sorrow  did  not  seem  too  great  for  her  to  bear. 
The  interview  had  passed  neither  as  badly  nor  as  well  as 
had  been  expected,  and  thinking  of  the  six  months  of  pro- 
bation that  lay  before  her,  without,  however,  being  in  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  451 

least  able  to  realize  their  meaning,  she  walked  dreaming 
through  the  sloppy,  fog-smelling  streets.  The  lamps  were 
now  but  like  furred  patches  of  yellow  laid  on  a  dead  gray 
background,  and  a  mud-bespattered  crowd  rolled  in  and 
out  of  the  darkness.  The  roofs  overhead  were  completely 
engulfed  in  the  soot-colored  sky  that  seemed  to  be  descend- 
ing on  the  heads  of  the  passengers.  Men  passed  carrying 
parcels;  the  white  necktie  of  a  theatre-goer  was  caught 
sight  of;  but  prostitution  had  for  the  moment  monopolized 
the  town.  From  Lambeth,  from  Islington,  from  Pimlico, 
from  all  the  dark  corners  where  it  had  been  lurking  in  the 
da}i;ime,  at  the  fading  of  the  light  it  had  descended  raven- 
ous and  awful  as  a  horde  of  wolves.  Portly  matrons, 
respectable-looking  in  brown  silk  dresses  and  veils,  stood 
in  the  corners  of  alleys  and  dingy  courts;  young  girls  of 
fifteen  and  sixteen,  their  dyed  hair  hanging  about  their 
shoulders  like  wisps  of  dirty  straw,  and  their  faces  be- 
speaking generations  of  drunkenness  in  the  by-streets  of 
Drury  Lane,  went  by  in  couples — the  elder  undertaking 
the  responsibility  of  choosing.  There  was  also  much 
trafficking  in  foreign  tongues,  Germans  in  long  ulsters 
being  the  most  assiduous ;  policemen  on  their  beats  would 
not  have  looked  less  concerned  with  amusement.  The 
English  hung  round  the  public-houses,  enviously  watching 
the  arched  insteps  of  the  French  women,  that  alone  tripped 
spotless  through  the  dreadful  dirt.  Smiles  there  were 
plenty,  but  they  were  hard  and  mechanical ;  even  the  Paris- 
ians had  lost  their  native  levity,  and  could  do  no  more  than 
wink  like  cynical  dolls.  It  was  sordid  vice,  black,  evil- 
smelling  as  the  mud  underfoot,  remorseless  as  the  sky  over- 
head. 

Down  Wellington  Street  the  sickly  flaring  of  the  electric 
light  announced  where  the  river  flowed,  and  the  white  spire 
of  St.  Mary's  had  disappeared  in  the  thickening  gloom. 
Without  seeing  them,  Kate  examined  the  passers-by — the 
men  that  hurried  home,  woollen  comforters  twisted  round 
their  throats,  the  white-bearded  one  who  walked  slyly  away 
with  their  petticoat,  the  youths  who  gazed  vacantly  after 
every  ankle.  It  astonished  her  to  find  the  world  so  busy;  she 
would  have  changed  her  identity  with  the  meanest,  and  she 


452  A  Mummer's  Wife 

went  on  heedlessly,  until  she  stumbled  against  a  small  man 
who  leaned  against  a  doorway,  coughing  violently. 

They  stared  at  each  other  in  profound  astonishment,  and 
then  Kate  said  in  a  pained  and  broken  voice : 

"  Oh,  Ealph  !  is  it  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed  it  is.  But  to  think  of  meeting  you  here  in 
London !  " 

They  had,  for  the  second,  in  a  sort  of  way,  forgotten  that 
they  had  once  been  man  and  wife,  and  after  a  pause  Kate 
said — 

"  But  that's  just  what  I  was  thinking.  What  are  you 
doing  in  London  ?  " 

Ealph  was  about  to  answer  when  he  was  cut  short  by  a 
fit  of  coughing.  His  head  sank  into  his  chest,  and  his 
little  body  was  shaken  until  it  seemed  as  if  it  were  going 
to  break  to  pieces  like  a  bundle  of  sticks.  Kate  looked  at 
him  pityingly,  and  said,  passing  unconsciously  over  the 
dividing  years,  just  as  she  might  have  done  when  they 
kept  shop  together  in  Hanley : 

"  Oh !  you  know  you  shouldn't  stop  out  in  such  weather 
as  this;  you  Avill  be  breathless  to-morrow." 

"  Oh,  no,  I  sha'n't ;  I've  got  a  new  remedy.  But  I  have 
lost  my  way;  that's  the  reason  why  I  am  so  late." 

"  Perhaps  I  can  tell  you.     Wliere  are  you  staying  ?  " 

"  In  an  hotel  in  Bedford  Street,  near  Covent  Garden." 

"  Well,  then,  this  is  your  way ;  you  have  come  too  far." 

And  passing  again  into  the  jostling  crowd  they  walked 
on  in  silence  side  by  side.  A  slanting  cloud  of  fog  had 
drifted  from  the  river  down  into  the  street,  creating  a 
shivering  and  terrifying  darkness.  The  cabs  moved  at 
walking  pace,  the  huge  omnibuses  stopped  belated,  and 
their  advertisements  could  not  be  read  even  when  a  block 
occurred  close  under  a  gas-lamp.  The  jewellers'  windows 
emitted  the  most  light;  but  even  gold  and  silver  wares 
seemed  to  have  become  tarnished  in  the  sickening  atmos- 
phere. Then  the  smell  from  fishmongers'  shops  grew 
sourer  as  the  assistant  piled  up  the  lobsters  and  flooded  the 
marbles  preparatory  to  closing;  and,  just  within  the  circle 
of  vision,  inhaling  the  greasy  fragance  of  soup,  a  woman 
in  a  blue  bonnet  loitered  near  a  grating. 


A  Mummer's  Wife  453 

"  This  is  Bedford  Street,  I  think/'  said  Kate,  "  but  it 
is  so  dark  that  it  is  impossible  to  see/' 

"  I  suppose  you  know  London  well  ? "  replied  Ralph 
somewhat  pointedly. 

"  Pretty  well,  I  have  been  here  now  for  some  time." 

For  the  last  three  or  four  minutes  not  a  word  had  been 
spoken.  Kate  was  surprised  that  Ealph  was  not  angry 
with  her;  she  wanted  to  speak  to  him  of  old  times;  but  it 
was  hard  to  break  the  ice  of  intervening  years.  At  last, 
as  they  stopped  before  the  door  of  a  small  family  hotel, 
he  said — 

"  It  is  now  something  like  four  years  since  we  parted, 
ain't  it  ? " 

The  question  startled  her,  and  she  answered  nervously 
and  hurriedly — 

"  I  suppose  it  is,  but  I  had  better  wish  you  good-by  now 
— you  are  safe  at  home." 

"  Oh  no  !  come  in ;  you  look  so  very  tired,  a  glass  of  wine 
will  do  you  good.  Besides,  what  harm  ?  Wasn't  I  your 
husband  once  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Ralph  !  how  can  you  ?  " 

"  Why,  there  is  no  reason  why  I  shouldn't  hear  how  you 
have  been  getting  on.  We  are  just  like  strangers,  so  many 
things  have  occurred,  I  have  married  since — but  perhaps 
you  did  not  hear  of  it  ?  " 

"  Married  !     Wlio  did  you  marry  ?  " 

"  Well !  I  married  your  assistant.  Miss  Hender." 

"  What,  Miss  Hender  your  wife  ?  "  said  Kate,  with  an 
intonation  of  voice  that  was  full  of  pain.  A  dagger  thrust 
suddenly  through  her  side  as  she  went  up  the  staircase 
could  not  have  wounded  her  more  cruelly  than  the  news 
that  the  woman  who  had  been  her  assistant  now  owned 
the  house  that  had  once  been  hers,  and  was  now  the  wife 
of  the  man  who  had  been  her  husband.  The  story  of  the 
dog  in  the  manger  is  as  eternal  as  the  world. 

Through  the  windows  of  the  little  public  sitting-room 
nothing  was  visible;  everything  was  shrouded  in  the  yellow 
curtain  of  fog.  A  commercial  traveller  had  drawn  off 
his  boots,  and  was  warming  his  slippered  feet  by  the  fire. 

"  Dreadful  weather,  sir,"  said  the  man.     "  I'm  afraid 


464  A  Mummer's  Wife 

it  won't  do  your  cough  much  good.  Will  you  come  near  the 
fire?" 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Ralph. 

Mechanically  Kate  drew  forward  a  chair.  It  would  be 
impossible  for  them  to  say  a  word,  for  the  traveller  was 
evidently  inclined  to  be  garrulous.  Both  wondered  what 
were  best  to  do,  but  at  that  moment  the  chambermaid  came 
to  announce  that  the  gentleman's  room  was  ready.  He 
retired,  carrying  his  boots  with  him,  and  they,  who  had  once 
been  husband  and  wife,  were  left  alone,  and  yet  it  seemed 
as  difficult  as  ever  to  speak  of  what  was  uppermost  in  their 
minds.  Kate  helped  Ralph  off  with  his  great-coat,  and 
she  noticed  that  he  looked  thinner  and  paler.  The  ser- 
vant brought  up  two  glasses  of  grog,  and  when  Kate  had 
taken  off  her  bonnet,  she  said — 

"  Do  you  think  I  am  much  altered  ?  " 

"  Well,  since  you  ask  me,  Kate,  I  must  say  I  don't  think 
you  are  looking  very  well.  You  are  thinner  than  you  used 
to  be,  and  you  have  lost  a  good  deal  of  your  hair." 

"  I  have  only  just  recovered  from  a  bad  illness,"  she  said 
sighing,  and  as  she  raised  the  glass  to  her  lips  the  gaslight 
defined  the  whole  contour  of  her  head.  The  thick  hair  that 
used  to  encircle  her  pale  prominent  temples  like  rich  velvet 
looked  now  like  a  black  silk  band  frayed  and  whitened  at 
the  seam. 

"  But  what  have  you  been  doing  ?  Have  things  gone 
pretty  well  with  you  ?  "  said  Ralph,  whose  breath  came 
from  him  in  a  thin  but  continuous  whistle.  "  What  hap- 
pened when  I  got  my  decree  of  divorce  ?  " 

"  Nothing  particular  for  a  while,  but  afterwards  we  were 
married." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Ralph,  "  so  he  married  you,  did  he  ?  Well, 
I  shouldn't  have  expected  it  of  him.  So  we  are  both  mar- 
ried.    Isn't  it  odd?  and  meeting,  too,  in  this  way." 

"  Yes,  many  things  have  happened  since  then.  I  have 
been  on  the  stage — travelling  all  over  England." 

"  What !  you  on  the  stage,  Kate  ?  "  said  Ralph,  lifting 
his  head  from  his  hand.  "  Oh  lord  !  oh  lord !  how — Ha ! 
ha  !  Oh !  but  I  musn't  la — ugh ;  I  shall  not  be  able  to 
breathe." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  455 

Kate  turned  to  him  almost  angrily ;,  and  the  ghost  of  the 
prima  donna  awakening  in  her,  she  said — 

"  I  don't  see  what  there  is  to  laugh  at.  I  have  played 
all  the  leading  parts,  and  in  all  the  principal  towns  in 
England — Liverpool,  Manchester,  Leeds.  The  Newcastle 
Chronicle  said  my  Serpolette  was  the  best  they  had  seen." 

Ealph  looked  bewildered,  like  a  man  blinded  for  a  mo- 
ment by  a  sudden  flash  of  lightning.  He  could  not  at  once 
realize  that  this  woman,  who  had  been  his  wife,  who  had 
washed  and  scrubbed  in  his  little  home  in  Hanley,  was  now 
one  of  those  luminous  women  who,  in  clear  skirts  and  pink 
stockings,  wander,  singing  beautiful  songs,  amid  illimit- 
able forests  and  unscalable  mountains.  For  a  moment  he 
regretted  he  had  married  Miss  Render. 

"  But  I  don't  think  I  shall  ever  act  again." 

"  How  is  that  ? "  he  said  with  an  intonation  of  disap- 
pointment in  his  voice. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Kate.  "  I  am  not  living  with  my 
husband  now,  and  I  haven't  the  courage  to  look  out  for  an 
engagment  myself." 

Ealph  stared  at  her  vaguely.  "  Look  out  for  an  en- 
gagement ?  "  he  repeated  to  himself,  it  seemed  to  him  that 
he  must  be  dreaming. 

"  Are  you  not  happy  with  him  ?  Does  he  not  treat  you 
well  ?  "  said  Ealph,  dropping  perforce  from  his  dream  back 
into  reality. 

"  Oh  yes,  he  has  always  been  very  good  to  me.  I  can't 
say  how  it  was,  but  somehow  after  a  time  we  did  not  get 
on.  I  daresay  it  was  my  fault.  But  how  do  you  get  on 
with  Miss  Hender  ? "  said  Kate,  partly  from  curiosity, 
half  from  a  wish  to  change  the  conversation. 

"  Oh,  pretty  well,"  said  Ealph.  with  something  that 
sounded,  in  spite  of  his  wheezing,  like  a  sigh. 

"  How  does  she  manage  the  dressmaking  ?  She  was 
always  a  good  workwoman,  but  she  never  had  much  taste, 
and  I  should  fancy  would  not  be  able  to  do  much  if  left 
entirely  to  herself." 

"  That's  just  what  occurred.  It's  curious  you  should 
have  guessed  so  correctly.    The  business  has  all  gone  to  the 


456  A  Mummers  Wife 

dogs,  and  since  mother's  death  we  have  turned  the  house 
into  a  lodging-house." 

"  And  is  mother  dead  ?  "  cried  Kate,  clasping  her  hands. 
"  What  must  she  have  thought  of  me !  " 

Ealph  did  not  answer,  but  after  a  long  silence  he  said — 

"  It's  a  pity,  ain't  it,  that  we  did  not  pull  it  off  better 
together  ?  " 

Kate  raised  her  head  and  looked  at  him  quickly.  Her 
look  was  full  of  gratitude. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  I  behaved  very  badly  towards  you, 
but  I  believe  I  have  been  punished  for  it." 

"  You  told  me  that  he  married  you  and  treated  you  very 
well." 

"  Oh ! "  she  said,  bursting  into  tears,  "  don't  ask  me,  it 
is  too  long  a  story;  I  will  tell  you  another  time,  but  not 
now." 

It  appeared  to  Kate  that  her  heart  was  on  fire  and  that 
she  must  die  of  grief.  "  Was  this  life  ?  "  she  asked  herself. 
Oh,  to  be  at  rest  and  out  of  the  way  forever !  Ealph,  too, 
seemed  deeply  affected;  after  a  pause  he  said: 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  was,  or  why,  but  now  I  come  to 
think  of  it  I  remember  that  I  used  to  be  cross  with  you — 
too  cross  with  you,  but  it  was  the  horrible  asthma." 

Kate's  Bohemianism  rushed  away  as  water  flows  out  of 
sight,  when  a  sluice  is  suddenly  raised,  and  she  became 
again  the  middle-class  working  woman,  ever  thinking  of, 
ever  willing  to  work  in  the  interests  of  her  home. 

"  There  were  faults  on  both  sides,"  he  continued,  "  and 
I  don't  exempt  mother  from  blame  either.  She  was  always 
too  hard  upon  you.  Now  I  should  never  have  minded  your 
going  to  the  theatre  and  amusing  yourself.  I  should  not 
have  minded  your  being  an  actress,  and  I  should  have  gone 
to  fetch  you  home  every  evening." 

Kate  smiled  through  her  misery,  and  he  continued,  fol- 
lowing his  idea  to  the  end. 

"  It  wouldn't  have  interfered  with  the  business  if  you 
had  been;  on  the  contrary,  it  would  have  brought  us  a 
connection,  and  I  might  have  had  up  those  plate-glass 
windows,  and  taken  in  the  fruiterer's  shop." 

Ealph  stopped.     The  roar  of  London  had  sunk  out  of 


A  Mummer's  Wife  457 

hearing  in  the  yellow  depths  of  the  fog,  and  for  some 
minutes  nothing  was  heard  but  the  short  ticking  of  the 
clock.  It  was  a  melancholy  pleasure  to  dream  what  might 
have  been  had  things  only  taken  a  different  turn,  and  like 
children  making  mud  pies  it  amused  them  to  rebuild  the 
little  fabric  of  their  lives:  whilst  one  reconstructed  his 
vision  of  broken  glass,  the  other  lamented  over  the  ruins 
of  penny  journal  sentiment.  Then  awakening  by  fits  and 
starts,  each  confided  in  the  other.  Ralph  told  Kate  how 
Mrs.  Ede  had  spoken  of  her  when  her  flight  had  been  dis- 
covered ;  Kate  tried  to  explain  that  she  was  not  as  much  to 
blame  as  might  be  imagined.  Constantly  Ralph's  curiosity 
got  the  better  of  him,  and  he  could  not  but  ask  her  to  tell 
him  something  about  her  stage  experience.  One  thing  led 
to  another,  and  before  twelve  o'clock  it  surprised  her  to 
think  she  had  told  him  so  much.  The  conversation  was 
carried  on  in  brief  and  broken  phrases.  Shjvering,  the 
man  and  the  woman  sat  close  together,  leaning  over  the 
fire.  There  were  no  curtains  to  the  windows,  and  the  fog 
had  crept  through  the  sashes  into  the  room.  Kate  coughed 
from  time  to  time — a  sharp,  hacking  cough — and  Ralph's 
wheezing  grew  thicker  in  sound. 

"  I'm  a — fraid  I  shall  have  a  b — bad  night,  this  dre — ad- 
ful  weather." 

"  I  should  like  to  stop  to  nurse  you ;  but  I  must  be  get- 
ting home." 

"  You  surely  won't  think  of  going  out  such  a  night  as 
this ;  you  never  will  find  your  way  home." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  shall ;  it  wouldn't  do  for  me  to  remain 
here." 

They  who  had  once  been  husband  and  wife  looked  at 
each  other,  and  both  smiled  painfully. 

"  Ve-ry  well,  I'll  see  you  do — wnstairs." 

"Oh,  no!  you  mustn't,  you'll  kill  yourself!" 

Ralph,  however,  insisted.  They  stood  on  the  doorstep 
for  a  moment  together,  suffocating  in  a  sulphur-hued 
atmosphere. 

"  You'll  come  a — nd  see  me  again  to — to-morrow, 
won't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes !  "  cried  Kate ;  *'  to-morrow !  to-morrow  I  " 
and  she  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

ATE,  however,  had  not  destined  that  they  should 
ever  see  each  other  again.  After  her  over-exer- 
tion and  over-excitement  Kate  found  herself 
next  day  unable  to  leave  her  room;  completely 
exhausted  she  lay  in  bed.  She  had  no  one  to  whose  care 
she  could  entrust  a  letter,  and  when  towards  the  end  of 
the  week  she  went  again  to  Bedford  Street,  she  found 
Ealph  was  gone,  and  what  was  worse,  without  having  left 
any  message  for  her.  He,  upon  consideration,  had  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  this  sentimentalizing  over  old  times 
could  not  be  productive  of  much  good.  He  was  sorry  that 
Kate  was  not  happy  with  her  husband,  but  was  not  her  life 
of  her  own  making.  Had  she  not  behaved  very  badly  ?  and 
had  not  chance  favored  her  ?  Why,  the  man  married  her ! 
What  more  could  he  do?  And  he,  Ralph,  was  married 
too,  so  he  and  she  were  as  widely  separated  as  if  the  Atlan- 
tic were  between  them.  Go  back  they  could  not,  and  look- 
ing back  was  useless  and  sad.  If  they  did  meet  again  all 
they  could  do  would  be  to  rake  up  a  lot  of  old  memories. 
He  could  not  help  her;  sooner  or  later  they  would  have 
to  part,  and  if  Mrs.  Ede  heard  of  their  meeting  she  would 
kick  up  an  awful  row.  She  would  hit  him,  knock  him  all 
over  the  place,  which  was  very  cruel  of  her ;  for,  when  he 
had  his  asthma,  he  was  totally  unable  to  defend  himself. 

Influenced  by  these  excellent  reasons,  Ralph  congratu- 
lated himself  when  Kate  did  not  keep  her  appointment, 
and,  as  soon  as  his  business  allowed  him,  he  hurried  out 
of  London,  more  anxious  to  be  back  in  Hanley  than  he 
could  have  imagined  himself  to  be.  He  had  thought,  it  is 
true,  of  writing  a  note  to  explain  his  sudden  departure, 
but  fearing  to  compromise  himself,  "to  give  her  a  hold 
over  him,"  he  had  gone  without  a  word ;  and  when  this  was 
explained  by  the  parlormaid  to  Kate,  sadly  she  left  the 
doorstep  to  return  to  her  dreary  home.     She  did  not  cry; 


A  Mummer's  Wife  459 

tears  were  dry  within  her;  she  had  suffered  so  mucli  that 
further  misfortunes  could  only  fall  upon  her  like  blows 
upon  a  jaded  animal.  She  was  now  heedless  of  whatever 
might  befall  her.  Every  fibre  of  moral  courage,  of  self- 
respect,  was  broken  through,  all  ties  were  destroyed.  She 
was  alone,  and  could  do  nothing  but  abandon  herself  to  the 
current  of  vice  and  misery  that  was  bearing  her  away. 
Even  the  memory  of  the  six  months  of  probation  she  had 
agreed  to  was  lost  sight  of  in  the  disappointment  of  not 
seeing  Ralph,  and  before  three  days  her  loneliness  had 
again  driven  her  to  drink.  After  this  relapse  the  stages 
through  which  she  sank  in  degradation  were  as  rapid  as 
they  were  horrible.  The  two  pounds  a  week  allowed  her 
by  her  husband  sufficed  in  a  sort  of  way  for  her  daily 
wants.  For  the  sum  of  six  or  seven  shillings  she  got  a 
room  "  good  enough  for  her ;"  not  two  shillings  a  day  was 
spent  in  food,  the  rest  went,  wasted  in  public-houses. 
Friends,  even  acquaintances,  had  disowned  her,  and  for 
the  sake  of  hearing  a  human  voice  she  was  soon  reduced 
to  treating  the  low  women — charwomen  and  worse — whom 
she  met  at  the  corners  of  the  streets.  In  discolored  sheets 
she  would  remain  all  the  morning,  either  dozing  or  tossing 
feverishly;  then  she  would  try  to  force  herself  to  taste  a 
cup  of  tea,  but  generally  she  could  touch  nothing,  and  it 
was  not  until  she  had  been  out  for  what  she  called  a  walk — 
a  long  night  prowl  through  dingy  and  dirty  back  streets — 
that  she  began  to  feel  better,  and  in  a  coffee-shop  would 
stop  to  have  something  to  eat.  After  this  meal  she  would 
sometimes  descend  into  the  Strand,  and  walking  up  and 
down  amid  the  unfortunates,  wait  for  hours  in  the  hope 
of  meeting  Dick  as  he  was  returning  from  the  theatre.  In 
these  searches  she  was  not  successful;  for  having  once 
caught  sight  of  her  he  ever  afterwards  returned  home  by 
the  Embankment.  Nevertheless,  she  did  not  give  up  hope, 
and  over  glasses  of  whiskey  explaining  her  troubles  to  the 
women — to  whom  she  was  known  as  Sentimental  Kate — 
she  would  loiter  about  the  "  private  entrances  "  until  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  By  that  time  she  was  well  on  in 
liquor,  and  singing  incoherently,  she  returned  home  stag- 
gering.   One  night,  however,  she  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 


460  A  Mummer's  Wife 

police,  and  passed  a  night  at  the  station.  It  being  a  first 
offense  she  was  let  off  with  a  small  fine  and  a  caution  that 
she  must  behave  herself  better  for  the  future.  But  she 
was  now  too  hopelessly  lost  to  be  stayed  in  her  downward 
career  by  even  this  disgrace.  Drink  had  degraded  her  to 
the  utmost;  she  had  been  dragged  down  until  there  was 
between  her  and  the  lowest  depths  but  one  step.  Even  that 
she  was  obliged  to  take.  Hitherto  she  had  remained  virtu- 
ous— her  love  of  her  husband  burned  like  a  pure  white 
flame  in  the  dark  night  of  ignominy  in  which  she  lived 
and  although  in  constant  relationship  with  the  vilest,  she 
had  never  dreamed  it  possible  that  she  could  stain  herself 
with  their  stain.  But  one  morning,  after  a  night  of  de- 
bauch, she  woke  up  stricken  with  doubt,  driven  wild  with 
an  agonizing  uncertainty  of  something  half  forgotten.  All 
she  could  remember  was  that  she  had  been  talking,  about 
midnight,  to  some  women  near  Charing  Cross,  and  that 
a  man  had  taken  her  to  have  a  drink.  She  could  recollect 
nothing  more,  and  now  her  chaplet  of  pearls  lay  scattered 
about  the  floor,  broken.  It  seemed  to  her  like  an  omen, 
and  so  many  had  now  been  lost  that  she  could  no  longer 
wear  it  round  her  neck.  She  wept  bitterly  for  a  time, 
but  her  brain  was  capable  of  retaining  neither  ideas  nor 
sentiment ;  thought  slipped  from  her  like  water  through  a 
sieve.  As  her  mind  became  weakened  her  capacity  for  drink 
increased.  Everything,  even  her  violent  temper,  seemed 
to  have  left  her;  she  gradually  became  like  a  worn-out 
machine,  from  which  all  rivets  and  screws  had  fallen,  and 
miserable  as  a  homeless  dog,  she  rolled  from  one  lodging 
to  another ; — after  a  few  days  driven  forth  from  the  lowest 
for  dirt  and  dissoluteness.  Under  the  pressure  of  such 
excesses  her  disease  increased  daily,  and  to  keep  pace  with 
her  exhaustion  she  was  forced  to  take  increased  doses  of 
stimulants.  But  the  end  was  now  rapidly  approaching, 
and  the  next  important  event  in  her  life  was  when  she 
found  herself  unable  to  leave  her  bed.  She  did  not  ring, 
and  it  was  not  until  evening  that  her  landlady  found  time 
to  come  upstairs  to  see  what  the  matter  was.  When  she 
entered  the  room  she  started  at  the  ghastly  spectre  before 
her. 


'A  Mummer's  Wife  461 

Had  she  known  in  the  first  instance  that  the  woman  to 
whom  she  was  letting  her  toj^-floor-back  was  in  such  a  bad 
state  of  health,  she  probably  would  have  refused  to  take  in ; 
but  once  having  admitted  her  into  possession  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  turn  her  out;  and,  having  satisfied  herself  that 
Kate  was  in  receipt  of  a  weekly  income  of  two  pounds, 
she  made  up  her  mind  for  the  worst,  and  accorded  such 
attention  as  would,  in  the  event  of  death,  qualify  her  for 
receiving  compensation  from  the  husband  for  the  trouble 
and  annoyance  she  had  been  put  to.  She  might  have  been 
kinder;  as  it  was,  she  merely  did  her  duty.  The  beef-tea 
she  sometimes  brought  up  with  her  own  hands,  and  when 
she  had  time  she  sat  by  the  bedside  and  advised  Kate  to  see 
a  doctor.  This  the  patient  refused  to  do,  it  was  impossible 
to  persuade  her,  and  three  weeks  passed,  weeks  filled  with 
silence,  moans,  and  the  livid  shadow  of  death.  Nothing 
now  remained  on  her  stomach;  nausea  and  continuous 
vomiting  making  her  life  a  hell,  until  at  last  it  became 
clear  even  to  the  landlady,  that  she  could  no  longer  accept 
the  responsibility;  and,  having  made  the  necessary  in- 
quiries, she  hurried  to  the  Opera  Comique.  When  the 
woman  was  shown  in  Dick  was  engaged  in  deciding  a 
delicate  question  relating  to  the  skirts  to  be  worn  in  the 
second  act  of  the  new  piece,  but  when  it  was  explained  to 
him  that  his  wife  was  dying  he  begged  of  the  costumier 
to  excuse  him.  Yet,  notwithstanding  all  that  could  be 
said,  he  could  not  be  induced  to  go  and  see  Kate.  Out  of 
sight  out  of  mind.  To  appeal  to  this  man's  imagination 
was  vain;  what  he  could  not  see  he  could  not  feel,  and  it 
was  quite  out  of  his  power  to  understand  that  his  presence 
could  relieve  or  assuage.  If  he  were  a  doctor  he'd  go  at 
once,  was  the  answer  he  made  to  the  woman's  supplica- 
tions; as  it  was  it  would  only  distress  him  and  excite  the 
sufferer.  He  had  endured  too  much,  and  had  now  neither 
affection  nor  pity  for  giving.  He  offered  merely  a  pas- 
sive resistance;  and  when  Mrs.  Forest,  interrupt- 
ing the  conversation,  said,  that  as  she  had  already  met 
Kate  in  a  previous  life  and  should  see  her  again  some 
centuries  hence,  it  was  only  just  that  she  should  start  off 
at  once  to  nurse  her,  he  attempted  no  opposition.    Indeed, 


463  A  Mummer's  Wife 

he  seemed  quite  satisfied  with  the  arrangement,  merely 
mentioning,  as  a  parting  word  of  advice,  that  the  second 
act  would  be  put  into  rehearsal  at  the  beginning  of  the 
following  week. 

Henceforth  Mrs.  Forest's  place  was  by  Kate's  bedside, 
and,  all  the  while  committing  her  absurd  lucubrations  to 
paper — "  Sayings  of  the  Sybil,"  by  Alta  Una,  for  the  gene- 
ral use  of  mankind,  and  choruses  of  policemen  and  nuns 
for  the  particular  benefit  of  Dick — she  strove  to  unite  the 
discrepant  offices  of  nurse  and  librettist.  By  a  strange 
coincidence,  the  doctor  who  attended  was  Mr.  Hooper. 
He  at  once  recognized  his  patient,  but  a  glance  now  suf- 
ficed to  convince  him  that  she  was  doomed — that  no  power 
could  save  her.  Perhaps,  had  he  seen  that  there  was 
still  any  chance  of  even  averting  for  a  time  the  certainty 
of  death,  he  would  have  insisted  on  Mrs.  Forest's  resign- 
ing her  post  as  nurse.  But  nothing  could  now  be  done. 
He  questioned  her  regarding  the  sufferer — asked  her  what 
she  knew  of  her  history,  and  by  whose  authority  she  was 
watching  by  the  bedside.  The  answers  he  received  were 
vague  in  the  extreme,  and  they  consisted  mostly  of  quota- 
tions from  the  "  Sayings."  "  I  have  lived  eight  times  on 
earth,  witnessed  the  dread  contest  of  death,  and  died  for 
the  cause  of  Pan,  and  the  Light-king,  and  Eros  the  im- 
mortal, whose  I  am;  and  once  again,  for  the  ninth  time,  I 
live  and  watch  the  contest — watch  with  joy  which  over- 
comes fear,  with  love  that  conquers  death."  The  contrast 
between  this  strange  creature  and  the  quivering  mass  of 
flesh  on  the  bed  was  as  awful  as  it  was  extraordinary.  But 
as  matters  stood  it  made  little  difference  who  was  there; 
and,  having  assured  himself  that  the  woman  was  sane 
enough  to  attend  to  his  directions,  he  took  up  his  hat  to 
go.  Bustling  her  voluminous  silk,  Mrs.  Forest  curtsied 
him  out.  "  Nothing,"  she  said,  "  can  be  well  worse  than 
the  present  state  of  earth-life  in  all  its  phases,  and  if  the 
human  race  is  to  be  evolved  into  a  higher  degree  of  per- 
fection no  weak  half  measures  will  avail  to  effect  the 
change;  there  must,  on  the  contrary,  be  a  radical  change 
in  hereditary  environment." 

The  doctor  listened  a  moment  as  if  stupefied.     With- 


A  Mummer's  Wife  463 

out  answering,  he  descended  the  staircase.  As  if  enchanted 
with  the  impression  she  had  produced,  Mrs.  Forest  went 
back  to  her  writing-table,  and  settling  the  folds  of  her 
brown  silk  widely  over  the  floor,  she  commenced  to  write, 
according  to  certain  indications  in  pencil  at  the  top  of  the 
paper,  a  chorus  of  policemen: — 

' '  We  are  bobbies,  bobbies  fat  and  merry, 
And  we  love  our  buxom  Mary  Janes  ; 
Pickles,  mutton,  ale,  and  likewise  perry, 
Help  us,  heal  us  of  our  earthly  pains." 

At  this  point  the  inspiration  seemed  to  desert  her,  and 
raising  her  pen  from  the  paper,  she  bit  its  end  thought- 
fully, seeking  for  a  transitional  phrase  whereby  she  might 
be  able  to  allude  to  the  Light-god. 

They  were  in  a  six-shillings-a-week  bedroom  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Strand.  The  window  looked  on  a  bit 
of  red-tiled  roofing,  a  cistern,  and  a  clothes-line,  on  which 
a  petticoat  and  an  apron  generally  flapped.  Facing  the 
light,  close  up  against  the  wall,  her  stomach  enormously  dis- 
tended by  dropsy,  Kate  lay  delirous.  From  time  to  time 
her  arms,  wasted  now  to  mere  bones,  were  waved.  She 
had  been  for  three  whole  days  insensible,  speaking  in 
broken  phrases  of  her  past  life — of  Mrs.  Ede,  the  potteries, 
the  two  little  girls,  Annie  and  Lizzie.  Dick,  she  declared, 
had  been  very  good  to  her.  Ealph,  too,  had  been  kind,  and 
she  was  determined  that  the  two  men  should  not  quarrel 
for  her.  They  must  not  kill  each  other;  she  would  not 
allow  it ;  they  should  be  friends.  They  would  be  all  friends 
yet;  that  is  to  say,  if  Mrs.  Ede  would  permit  of  it;  and  why 
should  she  stand  between  people  and  make  enemies  of 
them?  Then  her  ideas  would  grow  still  more  confused, 
until  she  imagined  that  it  was  for  the  part  of  the  Baillie 
that  Dick  and  Ealph  were  quarrelling,  and,  apostrophizing 
Mrs.  Ede,  she  would  express  her  regret  that  there  was  noth- 
ing in  the  piece  for  her.  Memories,  too,  of  the  baby-girl 
who  had  died  in  Manchester  were  not  wanting,  and,  fancy- 
ing that  Ealph  had  come  to  rob  her  of  it,  and  making 
every  effort  to  get  out  of  bed,  in  Mrs.  Forest's  arms  she 
would  supplicate  and  pray  of  him  to  believe  that  it  was 


464  A  Mummer's  Wife 

not  his  but  Dick's  child.  It  required,  however,  very  little 
power  to  restrain  her,  and  in  a  few  moments,  on  the  verge 
of  suffocation,  Mrs.  Forest  would  lay  her  back  on  the  pil- 
low. Apparently  the  mad  woman  saw  nothing  incongru- 
ous in  her  conduct,  and  with  an  undisturbed  mind  she  went 
back  to  the  chorus  of  policemen,  which  would  be  required 
at  the  theatre  in  a  few  days.  The  landlady  had  given  her 
a  small  table  to  write  on,  but  now,  when  Mrs.  Forest  arose 
to  attend  the  patient,  she  could  scarcely  pass  between  it 
and  the  basin-stand.  About  the  bedside  were  nailed  a  few 
pieces  of  ragged  carpet,  but  the  boards  in  many  places  were 
uncovered,  and  dust  lay  in  heaps  in  every  corner.  A  sour, 
acid  smell  proceeded  from  the  basin  and  poisoned  the  at- 
mosphere. Mrs.  Forest  did  not  seem  to  notice  this. 
Fevered,  impassioned  by  a  sudden  idea  concerning  the 
Light-god,  her  pen  went  scratching  over  the  paper,  nor  did 
she  perceive  that  Kate  had  recovered  consciousness  and  was 
looking  at  her  interrogatively.  "  Give  me  something  to 
drink;  I  am  dying  of  thirst,"  the  sick  woman  murmured 
faintly. 

Mrs.  Forest  started  from  her  reveries,  and  going  over  to 
the  fire-place,  where  the  beef-tea  was  standing,  poured  out 
half  a  cup;  but,  owing  to  great  difficulty  in  breathing,  it 
Avas  some  time  before  the  patient  could  drink  it.  She  was 
now  a  dreadful  thing  to  look  upon.  Her  thin  hair  hung 
like  a  wisp,  and  she  had  lost  so  much  that  the  prominent 
temples  were  large  with  a  partial  baldness.  The  rich  olive 
complexion  was  now  changed  to  a  dirty  yellow,  around  the 
nose  and  mouth  the  skin  was  pinched  and  puckered — it 
looked,  indeed,  more  like  yellow  blotting-paper  than  skin. 
The  appearance  of  the  face  was  one  of  deep  and  painful 
distress;  the  eyes  were  glazed  but  filled  with  eager  search- 
ing, the  lids  drooped,  and  so  bad  was  the  breath  that  Mrs. 
Forest,  when  she  approached  the  bed,  had  to  stand  with 
averted  head.    After  a  long  silence  Kate  said — 

"  I  have  been  very  ill,  have  I  not  ?  I  think  I  must  be 
dying." 

"  Death  is  not  death,"  answered  Mrs.  Forest,  "  when  we 
die  for  Pan,  the  undying  representative  of  the  universe 
cognizable  to  the  senses." 


A  Mummer's  Wife  465 

Kate  made  no  reply.  Over  her  mind  lay  a  vague  dream, 
through  whose  gloom  two  things  were  just  perceptible — 
an  idea  of  death  and  a  desire  to  see  Dick.  But  she  was 
almost  too  weak  to  seek  for  words,  and  it  was  with  great 
effort  that  she  said — 

"  I  do  not  remember  who  you  are ;  I  can  think  of  noth- 
ing now,  but  I  should  like  to  see  my  husband  once  more. 
Could  you  fetch  him?     Is  he  here?" 

At  this  mention  of  Dick  Mrs.  Forest  leered  with  the  eye 
that  was  not  made  of  glass,  and,  moved  by  some  sort  of 
grotesque  jealousy,  she  said — 

"  You  have  not  been  happy  with  him  I  know,  my  sister ; 
but  I  do  not  blame  you.  Your  marriage  was  not  a  psycho- 
logical union;  that  is  the  only  marriage,  and  without  it 
Woman  cannot  set  her  foot  on  the  lowest  step  of  the 
temple  of  Eros." 

"  I  am  too  ill  to  talk  with  you,"  said  the  dying  woman ; 
"  but  I  loved  my  husband  well — oh,  very  well  indeed.  In 
that  box  I  keep  all  my  little  remembrances  of  him;  they 
are  not  much — not  much — but  I  should  like  him  to  have 
them  when  I  am  gone,  so  that  he  may  know  that  I  loved  him 
to  the  last.    Perhaps  then  he  might  forgive  me." 

While  talking  of  Eros  the  immortal,  Mrs.  Forest  held 
the  box  under  Kate's  eyes.  She  looked  at  the  packet  of  old 
letters,  kissed  the  crumpled  calico  rose,  the  button  she  had 
pulled  off  his  coat  in  a  drunken  fit  and  preserved  for  love, 
and  she  even  slipped  on  her  wrist  the  few  pearls  that  re- 
mained of  the  chaplet  she  wore  when  they  played  at  sweet- 
hearts in  the  Lovers'  Knot.  But  when  the  souvenirs  had 
been  put  back  in  the  box,  and  Kate  had  again  asked  Mrs. 
Forest  to  bring  Dick  to  her,  she  began  to  ramble  in  her 
speech,  and  to  fancy  herself  in  Hanley;  and  as  the  mad 
woman's  thoughts  discovered  analogies  between  Loudon 
policemen  and  Pan,  the  Light-god  and  undying  representa- 
tive of  the  universe,  her  pen  kept  up  a  scratching  accom- 
paniment to  the  equally  unintelligible  ravings  that  pro- 
ceeded from  the  bed.  Scenes  the  most  diverse  were  heaped 
together  in  the  complex  confusion  of  a  nightmare,  ideas 
the  most  opposed  were  intermingled.  At  one  moment  she 
told  the  little  girls,  Annie  and  Lizzie,  of  the  immorality 
30 


466  'A  Mummer's  Wife 

of  the  conversations  in  the  dressing-rooms  of  theatres;  at 
another  she  stopped  the  rehearsal  of  an  opera  bouffe  to 
preach  to  the  mummers — in  phrases  that  were  remem- 
brances of  the  extemporaneous  prayers  in  the  Wesleyan 
church — of  the  advantages  of  an  earnest,  working,  religi- 
ous life.  It  was  like  a  costume  ball,  where  chastity  grinned 
from  behind  a  mask  that  vice  was  looking  for,  while  vice 
hid  his  nakedness  in  some  of  the  robes  that  chastity  had  let 
fall.  Thus  up  and  down,  like  dice  thrown  by  demon 
players,  were  rattled  the  two  lives,  the  double  life  that  this 
weak  woman  had  so  miserably  lived  through.  But  a  final 
blending  had  to  be  reached,  a  point  where  the  two  became 
one,  and  this  was  touched  when  she  commenced  to  sing  her 
famous  song, 

"Look  at  me  here,  look  at  me  there," 

alternately  with  the  Wesleyan  hymns.  •  Sometimes  in  her 
delirium,  she  even  fitted  the  words  of  one  on  to  the  tune 
of  the  other. 

Still,  Mrs.  Forest  took  no  notice.  In  terrible  cadence 
her  pen  went  scratch,  scratch,  until  she  had  finished  her 
chorus  of  policemen.  Then  she  turned  to  her  pamphlet, 
entitled  "  Sayings  of  a  Sybil,"  and  as  she  was  inditing 
some  remarks  anent  super-socialistic  government,  it  oc- 
cured  to  her  that  although  Dick's  marriage  had  not  been 
a  psychological  one,  it  might  be  as  well  that  he  should 
see  his  wife  before  she  died.  Having  come  to  this  conclu- 
sion she  suddenly  put  on  her  bonnet  and  left  the  house. 
An  hour  passed,  two  hours  passed,  and  the  landlady 
brought  in  the  lamp.  She  placed  in  on  the  table,  out  of 
sight  of  the  dying  woman's  eyes,  but  she  did  not  stop  to 
watch  by  the  bedside :  Kate  was  too  fearful  a  thing  to  look 
upon. 

A  dreadful  paleness  had  changed  even  the  yellow  of  her 
face  to  an  ashen  tint;  her  lips  had  disappeared,  her  eyes 
were  dilated,  and  she  tried  to  raise  herself  up  in  bed.  Her 
withered  arms  were  waved  to  and  fro,  and  in  the  red  gloom 
shed  from  the  ill-smelling  paraffin  lamp  the  large,  dimly- 
seen  folds  of  the  bed-clothes  were  tossed  to  and  fro  by  the 


A  Mummer's  Wife  467 

convulsions  that  agitated  the  whole  body.  Another  hour 
passed  away,  marked,  not  by  the  mechanical  ticking  of  a 
clock,  but  by  the  cavernous  breathing  of  the  woman  as  she 
crept  to  the  edge  of  death.  At  last  there  came  a  sigh, 
deeper  and  more  prolonged,  and  with  it  she  died. 

Soon  after,  before  the  corpse  had  grown  cold,  heavy 
steps  were  heard  on  the  staircase,  and  Dick  and  Mrs. 
Forest  entered,  one  with  a  quantity  of  cockatoo-like  flut- 
torings,  the  other  steadily,  like  a  big  and  ponderous  animal. 
At  a  glance  they  saw  that  all  was  over,  and  in  silence  they 
sat  down,  their  hands  resting  on  the  table.  In  awkward 
phrases  the  man  spoke  hesitatingly  of  a  happy  release;  the 
woman  listened  and  leered,  and,  ill  at  ease,  glancing  occa- 
sionally at  the  huge  body  beneath  the  bed-clothes,  they 
both  sought  vainly  for  edifying  thoughts  and  words  of  con- 
solation. She  would  have  liked  to  have  said  something 
concerning  psychological  marriages ;  he  wished  to  say  some- 
thing nice  and  kind,  but  her  presence  put  everything  out  of 
his  head,  and  so  his  ideas  became  more  than  ever  broken  and 
disjointed,  his  thoughts  wandered,  until  at  last,  lifting 
his  eyes  from  the  MS.  on  the  table,  he  said — 

"  Have  you  finished  the  second  act,  dear  ?  " 


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